Gulf of Alaska’s golden orb traced to a giant deep-sea anemone relic

NOAA and the Smithsonian have identified the 2023-found 'golden orb' in the Gulf of Alaska as a remnant of Relicanthus daphneae, a rarely seen giant deep-sea anemone, specifically the anchoring base attached to rock. The fibrous, stinging-cell mass initially puzzled scientists, but multidisciplinary analysis confirmed its cnidarian origin and linked it to the same species observed in the Mariana Islands, highlighting ongoing deep-sea mysteries revealed by expeditions like Seascape Alaska 5.