Alaska’s Golden Orb Debunked: It’s the Base of a Giant Sea Anemone
NOAA scientists have identified the 4‑inch golden “orb” found two miles deep off Sitka in 2023 as the base of a giant sea anemone, Relicanthus daphneae. The mystery, which sparked egg/alien theories, was solved by integrating morphological, genetic, and deep‑sea data and comparing with other specimens. The finding expands understanding of this species and leads to questions about its reproduction and distribution, with formal naming and further discoveries planned.