According to the NOAA, the Seascape Alaska 5 expedition started on August 23, 2023, and ended on September 16, 2023.
During the expedition, scientists were investigating remote regions in the Gulf of Alaska with ROVs and multi-beam sonar technologies at depths between 650 and 19,700 feet.
Overall, the goal of the mission was to improve their understanding of the region’s different underwater habitats to help inform potential hazards to these communities.
The discovery of the golden orb highlighted the importance of the mission and ocean exploration in general.
There is so much about the ocean that scientists do not know. Freezing temperatures and crushing pressures are just two factors that have prevented humans from plunging into its depths.
However, with the help of ROVs, the ocean has been slowly revealing more and more of its secrets.
“While somewhat humbling to be stumped by this finding, it serves as a reminder of how little we know about our own planet and how much is left to learn and appreciate about our ocean,” said Sam Candio, the exploration coordinator of NOAA Ocean Exploration.
