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Story summary
- Scientists determined the “golden orb” is a fragment of the anemone Relicanthus daphneae, not extraterrestrial.
- NOAA researchers identified the 2023 Gulf of Alaska orb as a base at 3,250 m.
- The Okeanos Explorer ROV delivered the orb to the Smithsonian, where researchers used whole-genome sequencing to match its DNA to a 2021 specimen.
- NOAA acting director William Mowitt said the find shows deep-sea exploration supports scientific knowledge and national interests.
