(TheConservativeTimes.org) – A team of scientists were using a remote operated vehicle (ROV) to explore the bottom of the Pacific Ocean near the coast of Alaska when they stumbled upon a mysterious object. The unusual orb was stuck to the side of a rock. Scientists used a vacuum feature and the robotic arm of the ROV to dislodge and seize the orb.
In a live stream of the discovery, scientists were overheard speculating about the object and making jokes. A researcher commented that the orb could be something from a “horror movie” while another jokingly referenced the TV show The X Files. They theorized that the orb could be an egg casing or a type of sponge.
The orb was placed in the wet lab of the Okeanos Exploer, a ship being used in the research expedition, for closer examination. Scientists have been able to determine that the orb is “biological in nature”, but nothing further. A more detailed examination can be performed once the orb is transferred to a lab, on land, with more sophisticated equipment.
The researchers that discovered the object are part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). They were exploring and using the ROV to map the ocean floor as part of the Seascape Alaska 5 expedition. The expedition began on August 23, 2023, and will end on September 16, 2023, and covers previously unexplored or little-known areas of the ocean in the Gulf of Alaska.
The orb is one of many unknown species in the deep and vast ocean. The expedition coordinator, Sam Candio, claims that researchers can usually make an educated guess about how new specimens fit in with other species, but claims this orb has left him “completely puzzled”. He says researchers will test DNA and perform dissection and microscopy to hopefully unlock the mystery of the new discovery.
Candio is inviting the public to view the NOAA live stream of the expedition which will be available until September 15, 2023
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