Golden Ball From Ocean Floor Baffles Scientists

Peter Deryabin

During a NOAA expedition, a mysterious dome-shaped object painted in golden tones was discovered in the Gulf of Alaska. After extracting this object to the surface of the sea, scientists were faced with a mystery, as they still could not determine its nature. 

The mysterious golden "ball" found on the ocean floor during this research expedition has a "biological origin", but scientists still have no idea what exactly it is. 

Sam Candio, ocean exploration expedition coordinator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), expressed his surprise, saying: "Although we were able to recover this 'golden ball' and bring it to the ship, we still cannot identify it, other than that it is of biological origin."

He also stressed that while there is some disappointment that the object remains a mystery, it reminds us how little we know about our planet and how much potential remains to be discovered and explored in our ocean.

At a depth of approximately 3,300 metres below the surface of the Gulf of Alaska, a strange dome-shaped object was discovered. Its diameter is about 10 centimeters. Initially, a small hole was noticed at the base of the object, and scientists initially thought it could be some kind of egg case or parts of a dead sponge. However, after raising the gold object to the surface, the researchers were left perplexed.

The team is currently trying to determine whether the orb is related to a known species, represents a new species, or is a previously unknown life stage. As Sam Candio, Ocean Research Expedition Coordinator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) put it: "We probably won't be able to gain more information until we can move the object into a laboratory environment where we can conduct more in-depth research using sophisticated tools not available on the ship."

The NOAA Seascape Alaska expedition, during which this ball was discovered, is aimed at studying little-known objects in deep water areas off the coast of Alaska. The team plans to map the region and gain more information about the creatures that inhabit these waters, whether they are already known species or ones that have not yet been described.

Sam Candio also emphasised that new species could lead to the discovery of new sources of medical treatments, vaccines, food, energy sources and other social benefits and knowledge. All the data and information collected during this expedition will help fill gaps in our understanding of this part of the planet, allowing it to be better managed and protected.

- Pravda.ru