Trending Now - Researchers Uncover Secrets of Enigmatic Golden Orb From Deep Sea
WHO:
Science Daily - Researchers from NOAA Fisheries and the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History were involved in identifying the golden orb.
Anchorage Daily News - Allen Collins is a zoologist and director of NOAA Fisheries’ National Systematics Laboratory. Emily Crum is a spokesperson for NOAA Ocean Exploration. Capt. William Mowitt is the acting director of NOAA Ocean Exploration.
WHAT:
Live Science - The golden orb is identified as secretions from a deep-sea anemone-like creature called Relicanthus daphneae.
Live Science - The orb contains spirocysts, which are stinging cells unique to the Hexacorallia class, narrowing it down to approximately 4,000 species.
Live Science - The orb is a remnant, specifically a cuticle that the anemone secretes to attach itself to rock.
Science Daily - The golden orb was identified as the remains of tissue from a giant deep-sea anemone.
Anchorage Daily News - The orb is approximately 4 inches wide and was retrieved from the seafloor.
Anchorage Daily News - The orb was found stuck to a rock and was part of a collection of biological samples from the Seascape Alaska research cruise.
Anchorage Daily News - The Seascape Alaska program is ongoing and aims to fulfill a national ocean-mapping strategy.
WHERE:
Science Daily - The golden orb was found more than two miles deep in the Gulf of Alaska.
Anchorage Daily News - The orb was discovered west of Prince of Wales Island in the Gulf of Alaska.
WHEN:
Anchorage Daily News - The orb was retrieved during a research cruise in 2023.
Anchorage Daily News - The Seascape Alaska program began in 2021 and is ongoing.
Anchorage Daily News - NOAA's claim to extended continental shelf territory in the High Arctic and Bering Sea was made in 2023.
WHY:
Anchorage Daily News - There is a pressing need for ocean mapping, as 61% of U.S. waters off Alaska remain unmapped.
Anchorage Daily News - Accurate mapping is necessary to delineate ocean territorial claims.
HOW:
Live Science - The identification process involved genetic tests that detected DNA from an anemone-like organism, R. daphneae, and microscopic analysis revealing the presence of nematocysts.
Science Daily - The identification of the orb involved deep-sea expertise, microscopic analysis, and advanced DNA sequencing.
Anchorage Daily News - The orb was retrieved by a remotely operated vehicle launched from the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer.
(UPDATED April 27, 2026 17:24 UTC)
Scientists have identified a golden orb as secretions from a deep-sea anemone-like creature known as Relicanthus daphneae. This orb contains spirocysts, which are unique stinging cells that help narrow down the classification to about 4,000 species within the Hexacorallia class, and it serves as a remnant cuticle that the anemone secretes to anchor itself to rock. The identification process utilized genetic testing to detect DNA from R. daphneae, along with microscopic analysis that revealed the presence of nematocysts.
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(UPDATED April 27, 2026 15:35 UTC)
Researchers from NOAA Fisheries and the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History have identified a golden orb, which is actually the remains of tissue from a giant deep-sea anemone, found more than two miles deep in the Gulf of Alaska. This approximately four-inch-wide orb was discovered stuck to a rock during the ongoing Seascape Alaska research cruise, part of a national ocean-mapping strategy aimed at addressing the pressing need for accurate mapping of U.S. waters, where 61% off Alaska remain unmapped. The orb was retrieved by a remotely operated vehicle launched from the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer, utilizing deep-sea expertise, microscopic analysis, and advanced DNA sequencing for its identification.