Mysterious Golden Object Found in Deep Sea of Alaska Could Be Egg Casing, Remains of Marine Sponge, Experts Claim

A bizarre golden object was found in the deep sea of Alaska. Experts shared their thoughts about the mysterious and rare find.

Mysterious Golden Object in Alaska's Deep Sea

The identity of the strange golden object dug up from the ocean floor off the coast of Alaska has drawn the attention of marine biologists. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) claims that the glossy object feels sensitive to the touch, similar to skin tissue.

DNA tests in the lab might turn up a brand new animal that science has never even heard of, even if it might just be an egg case or the remains of a marine sponge.

In reference to a scene in Alien where John Hurt's character discovers the "face hugger" on another planet, NOAA specialists compared it to something "from a horror movie."

Although she could not identify the mysterious object, Dr. Tammy Horton of the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton agreed it might be a new species. Horton said they still have a lot to discover, noting that it is common to encounter unknowns in the deep water.

Since they have a sample, they can examine it more carefully and are likely to perform genetic analysis to at least identify the type of animal it came from. It should be noted that the object had a gaping hole in the front, indicating that something had been born from it. She continued that it might actually be an egg case of some sort, referring to the exit hole.

The University of Edinburgh's Murray Roberts, a professor of marine biology, concurred with the NOAA scientists that it might be an egg case.

He said several species, including delicate deep-sea fish like sharks and rays, deposit their egg cases on seamounts or in cold-water coral habitats. Therefore, something hatched out of the hole and swam away.

Dr. Lucy Woodall, an associate professor of marine conservation at the University of Exeter, claimed that it resembles a sponge, an aquatic invertebrate that is stationary and related to coral.

The hole is most likely wear and tear from the passage of time, but on the other hand, Woodall said, "it could offer a whole new insight into how life in the deep sea survives and thrives."

Woodall said there are many marvels in the deep water that we have only recently discovered. She anticipates finding more information from the taxonomists working on the acquired data.

Weird Object Intriguing But Not Surprising

The uncommon find seemed strange, and other specialists agreed. However, some people didn't find it shocking at all.

Professor Kerry Howell of deep-sea ecology at the University of Plymouth described the object as "weird" and unlike anything she had ever seen. She said she hadn't seen anything like that in her 20 years of deep-sea exploration. She found it wonderful to discover new things and is looking forward to the sample's study to reveal what it is.

She speculated that it might easily be tied to a new species because there are so many unexplored species in the deep water. Howell added that if the species is a sponge, the hole may be where it breathes in and out, or it could be an egg casing where the animal hatched.

Postdoctoral researcher at the British Geological Survey, Dr. Pierre Josso, described the object as intriguing but not particularly surprising.

Since the seafloor has not been well investigated, he expects to find novel biological structures or species while diving. Over the past ten years, as the deep ocean has been studied more thoroughly than ever before, an increasing number of new species remnants of developmental stages of known and undiscovered species have been cataloged. It is too early to determine the hole's origin, purpose, and cause in its structure.

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