Scientists are analysing a mysterious golden orb that was found on the bottom of the ocean
Scientists have come across something very peculiar on the bottom of the ocean floor in Alaska.
A team from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) used a remote-controlled submersible to dive two miles under surface off the coast of North America.
They came across a golden, 'flesh-like' object casually sitting on the floor of the sea.
According to The Guardian, the submersible extended its mechanical arm to touch the object.
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It was determined to have a 'skin-like' texture and the machine 'suctioned' the object up for further analysis.
This golden orb, likely an egg casing, struck an imaginative chord for many watching yesterday.
— NOAA Ocean Exploration (@oceanexplorer) August 31, 2023
Today we dive on Denson Seamount. ROVs are launching & will remain on the seafloor until ~ 3:45pm ADKT/7:45pm EDT.
Join us! https://t.co/ScOhpINB18#Okeanos #seascapealaska #explore pic.twitter.com/Eq1sYeVQrr
It certainly stood out for scientists when compared to the boring, regular-looking rocks next to it.
Their mission was being live-streamed and loads of people also pointed out the odd object as well.
One scientist said during the livestream: “I just hope when we poke it, something doesn’t decide to come out. It’s like the beginning of a horror movie.”
NOAA says they will spend some time investigating it but at this stage they think it could be 'an egg casing'.
An egg casing to what though? What creature gets born from a fleshy, golden egg?
They highlighted how the object had a hole in it and suggested that could mean the sea creature broke out.
Or, it could also mean that a predator broke in.
The Guardian noted that while the orb appeared to be golden, this was influenced from the submarine's headlights and it actually looks more brown-yellow.
Deep-sea ecologist at the University of Plymouth, Professor Kerry Howell explained to the outlet that it will be interesting to see what the object comes back as.
“We’ll often see new things but will usually have a pretty good knowledge of what they are," she said.
"What’s unusual about this thing is we’re not even sure what it is. Is it an egg, is it a sponge, what is it?”
“We’re going with egg because of the texture.
"It felt fleshy and it doesn’t have any obvious anatomy. It has a hole in it that suggests something has come in or gone out. But it doesn’t look like any egg I’ve ever seen,” she added.
“If it is an egg, the really interesting question is whose egg is it. It’s quite big. That’s not a small fish egg. That’s a sizeable thing.”
Topics: Science
Stewart Perrie