A NOAA research expedition that in 2023 found a mysterious “golden orb” more than two miles below the Gulf of Alaska identified the object as a clump of remnant cells left by a sea anemone. The conclusion followed over two years of laboratory tests and analysis of hundreds of samples, which ruled out exotic explanations. The finding confirms earlier reporting and illustrates how sustained sampling and lab work are needed to interpret unfamiliar deep-sea structures.
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