From Discover Wildlife · Fergus Collins · · 1m 20s
Deep-sea robot finds golden orb 3,200m deep
Deep-sea robot discovers golden orb 3,200m deep in ocean, scientists stunned by its identity.
In brief
Deep-sea robot discovers golden orb 3,200m deep in ocean, scientists stunned by its identity. Scientists identified a deep-sea anemone's cuticle as the golden orb found 3,200m below the surface in the Gulf of Alaska. Originally reported by Discover Wildlife.
Deep-sea discovery
Scientists found a mysterious golden orb 3,200m deep in the Gulf of Alaska during a 2023 expedition.
NOAA expedition
The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) sent its ship Okeanos Explorer to map the Gulf of Alaska in autumn 2023.
Golden orb discovery
Deep Discoverer ROV found a golden blob stuck to a rock at the Walker Seamount, 3,200m below the surface.
Initial mystery
Scientists were baffled by the orb's appearance: 10cm across, golden, with a hole, no animal features.
Scientific analysis
Experts used an integrative taxonomic approach to identify the orb as a Relicanthus daphneae anemone's cuticle.
Chitin and spirocyst
The orb's tissue contained chitin and spirocyst stinging cells, linking it to the phylum Cnidaria.
Genetic findings
DNA analysis confirmed animal DNA and genetic material from Relicanthus daphneae, a deep-sea anemone.
Reproductive cycle
The orb may be part of a reproductive cycle where new anemones grow from abandoned cuticles.
The one thing
Scientists identified a deep-sea anemone's cuticle as the golden orb found 3,200m below the surface in the Gulf of Alaska.
