A yellow spherical object was discovered in the Gulf of Alaska during a NOAA expedition and scientists still don't know what it is after bringing it to the surface.
The sphere is believed to be of biological origin. Photo: NOAA
The mysterious yellow sphere on the ocean floor has been determined to be biological in origin, but the NOAA team is not sure what it is. "Even if we were able to collect the sphere and bring it aboard, we still wouldn't be able to identify it," said Sam Candio, expedition coordinator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). "This is a reminder of how little we know about the Earth and the ocean."
The strange object is located on an underwater mountain 3,300 km below the sea surface, in the Gulf of Alaska. It is about 10 cm wide. There seems to be a small hole near its bottom, so scientists initially thought it could be an eggshell or a dead sponge. However, after bringing it to the surface, they were still puzzled.
The team is now trying to determine whether the sphere is associated with a known species, a new species, or represents a stage of life. "We won't know much more until we get it into the lab and analyze it with more sophisticated scientific equipment on board," Candio said.
NOAA’s Seascape Alaska expedition on August 30 explored the little-known deep waters off the coast of Alaska. The expedition team plans to map the area and learn about the known and unknown species that live there.
According to Candio, the new species could potentially reveal treatments, vaccines, food, energy, and more. The data and information gathered during the expedition will help them better understand this part of the planet, leading to better management and protection.
An Khang (According to Live Science )
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