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Themystery golden orbfound at the bottom of the ocean in the Gulf of Alaska is currently being preserved in ethanol on control panel the research ship Okeanos Explorer . And despite hauling it from the deep , scientists still have no estimate what it is . One thing , however , is sure : It is biological in origin .
A remotely operate vehicle ( ROV ) run by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’sSeascape Alaska 5expedition plucked it from a seamount 2 miles ( 3,300 meters ) beneath the ocean surface on Aug. 30 .
The strange dome-shaped golden object was found during a expedition to explore the Gulf of Alaska.
The dome - shaped objective , about 4 inches ( 10 centimeters ) astray , had a belittled hole at the al-Qaeda and appear to be impound to a rock . Sam Candio , NOAA Ocean Exploration sashay coordinator , order the globe is now in " a holding radiation pattern " as the squad fetch up mapping the area . Once done , they ’ll " be shipping all of our samples to the Smithsonian where scientists around the universe will be able to get at them and provide further analysis , " he enjoin Live Science in an e-mail . " Until that happens , the mystery will remain as scientist cover to seem for clues in the video datum . "
Candino say they acknowledge it is biological because of the way it was bind to the rock , its bodily structure and the way it appear to have protein - comparable layers throughout . " There are some morphological similarities to the often outre organisms we encounter in the inscrutable ocean , but so far the answer have eluded scientist worldwide , " he say .
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The golden object is now being preserved in ethanol before being sent for laboratory analysis.
The leading theory are that the Au globe is an testicle casing of a potentially unidentified species , or that it ’s a eccentric of sponge . " I ’m Team Egg Case at the moment , but I ’m frantic to notice out , " Candino said .
Jon Copley , a prof of deep - sea ecology and ocean exploration at the University of Southampton in England who was not involved with the mission , is leaning toward quick study " because of the fibrous texture in the pictures , " he separate Live Science via e-mail . " But that ’s pure conjecture without proper examination . "
sponge have a skeletal frame made of microscopic , phonograph needle - like structure call spicule . Egg example should have DNA that can be extract , Copley supply . That DNA can then either be pit to a jazz species or equal to a newfound coinage when scientist eventually encounter the creature that made the ball slip .
Tammy Horton , enquiry scientist and Discovery Collections manager at the U.K. ’s National Oceanography Centre who did not take part in the deep - sea mission , told Live Science in an email that identifying the objective will be a waiting game . " The coloring material is unusual , but it is not completely unknown to see golden coloured , objects , or more accurately those that have a golden sheen when alight up by ROV luminousness . " She added there are black corals that have a gold sheen , while the bristle of some bristle worms are Au - colored .
Why the orb is golden - hued is still unclear . " Since no natural sparkle penetrates to these depths , it ’s often gruelling to determine why certain colors emerge . It could have something to do with the chemical substance piece , could be a happy accident , or could be a fashion argument , " Candino say .
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The find highlights how small of the sea has been research . Theworld ’s oceanscover around 70 % of Earth ’s aerofoil , or 139 million straight geographical mile ( 360 million square kilometers ) , yet justunder 25 % of the seafloor has been mapped . Up to 1 million specie may inhabit the ocean , two - thirds of which have yet to be reveal .
The whodunit of the golden ball will probably be work out before long , but " for now , I think it ’s nice not knowing , " Copley say . " The day we know everything that ’s in the ocean would be the daytime we stop explore . "
