Deep-Sea Anemone's Dead Cells: Mystery Orb Solved

0:00That golden orb in O.A. spotted back in 2023 during a Gulf of Alaska dive? Mystery solved, it's no buried treasure or alien drop. Turns out it's the dead cell remnants from the base of a massive deep sea anemone called Relacanthus Daphnei, the part that stuck it to the rocks. Found at crushing depths, this shiny ball had everyone guessing since it popped up in their deep water footage. Noah's ocean explorers pulled it up, but pinning down its origins took serious lab work. Scientists jumped in with all kinds of expertise, from deep sea pros to genetic wizards. First DNA tests came back fuzzy, leaving the team scratching heads over what creature left it behind. They leveled up to whole genome sequencing, spotting animal DNA loaded with Relacanthus Daphnei genes. mitochondrial matches were near identical to known samples, sealing the deal. Noah's Alan Collins called it a beast of a puzzle that needed every tool in the kit. Now that orbs just another clue unlocking the ocean's wild unknowns.

1:02That's the story for today, Anchorage News Today, Driven by AI, I'm Cory with the Story.