Mysterious Golden Orb Found at the Bottom of the Ocean Finally Identified
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A deep-sea discovery that baffled scientists and captivated the public has finally been explained.
The so-called “golden orb,” first spotted during a 2023 expedition in waters off Alaska, turned out to be the remains of dead cells from a giant deep-sea anemone, Relicanthus daphneae, specifically the portion that once anchored the creature to rock.
At the time, researchers were openly puzzled. “I don’t know what to make of that,” one said in footage from the expedition, while another added, “Yeah, I don’t know what to think about this.” The object was collected and sent to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, where scientists spent more than two years analyzing its structure and DNA. Early testing was inconclusive, but deeper genomic sequencing ultimately confirmed its origin. “We work on hundreds of different samples, and I suspected that our routine processes would clarify the mystery,” said Allen Collins. “But this turned into a special case.” Scientists say the case underscores how much remains unknown in the deep ocean.
https://www.noaa.gov/news/scientists-reveal-identity-of-mysterious-golden-orb-collected-during-noaa-expedition">Read it at NOAA.GOV
https://www.thedailybeast.com/mysterious-golden-orb-found-at-the-bottom-of-the-ocean-finally-identified/">Read more at The Daily Beast.