"Golden Egg" Found On Ocean Floor Baffles Researchers
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The ocean is full of mysteries. But few have grabbed the attention of the scientific community and the public as the recently-found "golden egg." Researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) stumbled upon the shiny orb two miles (3.2 km) deep in the Gulf of Alaska on August 20, 2023.
The scientists were exploring the area's marine habitats with a robotic diving vehicle when they spotted the dome-shaped object. Measuring about 4 inches (10 cm) in diameter, it lay on a rock amid some white sea sponges. A small hole in its base led the researchers to wonder if it was an egg case or a dead sponge attachment.
Curious to find out, the team grabbed the "golden egg" using the robotic vehicle's suction tube. A closer examination helped confirm that the object is biological in origin. However, the scientists are not sure if the specimen belongs to a new species or one that has already been discovered. They hope to determine that with a laboratory analysis once the expedition ends.
"We likely won't learn more until we are able to get it into a laboratory setting, where we can continue to pull from the collective expertise of the scientific community with more sophisticated tools than we are able to maintain on the ship," says expedition coordinator Sam Candio.
He adds, "While somewhat humbling to be stumped by this finding, it serves as a reminder of how little we know about our own planet and how much is left to learn and appreciate about our ocean."
Resources: oceanexpolorer.noaa.gov, CBSnews.com, allthatsinteresting.com
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123 Comments
naturelover5911 monthsI agree with bethie123 too. IT looks like putty to me
ks0324201511 monthscool!
twenty-six12 monthsA new generation under the seas??
mewecisutuge12 monthsi really want to know what it is!!!!
bethanybeachabout 1 yeargotta ask what kind egg is that never seen one like this
oreocookie64about 1 yeari agree what is it?
joby0327about 1 yearMy favorite color is gold
linstoneabout 1 yearThis is amazing! I thought that gold eggs weren't real. But now...
0823830about 1 yearIt was cool and super wowow
funnyguyabout 1 yearI feel like that this so called "golden egg" is just a dead sea sponge or some kind of trash thrown into the Gulf of Alaska
colton_tabout 1 yearFreaky, yet cool.
