Mysterious golden organism discovered off the coast of Alaska

Mysterious organism found off the coast of Alaska This unidentified orb-like organism was discovered during a remote deep-sea dive off the coast of Alaska on Aug. 30.

A mysterious golden orb-like organism was discovered by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Ocean Exploration scientists during a remote deep-sea dive off the coast of Alaska last week.

The organism, which is about 10 centimetres in diameter, was stuck to a rock at a depth of about 3,300 metres, NOAA said when announcing the discovery.

But little is known about what the organism actually is.

“While we were able to collect the 'golden orb' and bring it onto the ship, we still are not able to identify it beyond the fact that it is biological in origin," NOAA's Sam Candido said. The expedition co-ordinator added it is likely they won't learn more until the organism is examined in a laboratory setting.

The organism was discovered during the 2023 Seascape Alaska Expedition. The expedition aims at mapping and exploring deepwater ecosystems in the Gulf of Alaska using remotely operated vessels.

Watch the moment scientists discovered the unidentified organism in the video at the top of this article.