Some blue goo got scientists piloting a remote - operated fomite ( ROV ) in the Caribbean Sea this yr as they find a mystifying organism . The cerulean lump remains unnamed for now , but it ’s suspected it could be some variety of diffuse precious coral , parazoan , or urochord .
“ Have you heard about the latest # Okeanos mystery ? ” state National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA ) Ocean Exploration in a post shared onTwitter . “ Seen multiple times during off St. Croix , this " blue # goo " animal stumped scientists , who thought it might be balmy precious coral , sponge , or tunicate ( but def not a stone ! ) . ”
The bizarre blue goo was spotted during Dive 08 of the third Voyage to the Ridge 2022 expedition , said the NOAA on theirwebsite . The pleasure trip took them to waters sou'-west of St. Croix in the Caribbean Sea where they keep the unnamed aristocratical organism on several occasions .
Kitted out the coloring of Elvis - washed denim with a bobbly coating to contend with that of therainbow sea lick , the " unidentified juicy organism " is quite a sight .
“ Okay we ’ve now encounter a number of these , and I cogitate the mystery will remain until a sampling can be collected , ” one of the ROV operator can be heard saying in the video . “ We ’re still not sure and we all really like a good whodunit . ”
Likely culprits for the patrician goo ’s eventual ID are diffused coral , leech , or urochord . delicate corals , such as Smurf polyps andSansibia flava , would certainly indicate that this radical of animals is n’t afraid of wear a picayune blue .
As for ocean poriferan , Haliclona caeruleais a blue diverseness that ’s also found in the Caribbean . Then you have urochord such as salpa ( not forgettingTethys vagina ) and ascidian among which our blobby “ puritanic biomat ” would see right at home .
With so many options on the mesa , it was a relief to know one prescribed ID was off the table :
“ I can tell you it ’s not a rock ‘n’ roll . ”
The NOAA ’S Okeanos Explorer is no stranger to ocean oddities , and the scientists in the mystery sorry goo video can be see discussing how often it ’s the display case that they encounter at least one unidentified being per diva . In the past , they ’ve foundstarfish that look like raviolias well asstrange holes in the seabedthat look as if they were dug out by humans .
For now , the mystery blue gunk stay a UOO ( unidentified sea rarity ) , but what playfulness would recondite ocean geographic expedition be without the occasional alien ?
[ H / T : CNET ]
