It was later sent to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History for further research and examination.

Scientists eventually determined that the roughly 4-inch golden object was a remnant of the dead cells that formed at the base of a giant sea anemone known as Relicanthus daphneae. It was the part of the anemone that attaches to rocks.

Researchers with specific expertise had to pool together their knowledge

Ultimately, researchers had to analyze both the orb’s physical structure and its DNA, a process NOAA described as a “complex effort.”

“We work on hundreds of different samples, and I suspected that our routine processes would clarify the mystery,” said Allen Collins, zoologist and director of the NOAA Fisheries’ National Systematics Laboratory. “But this turned into a special case that required focused efforts and expertise of several different individuals. This was a complex mystery that required morphological, genetic, deep-sea and bioinformatics expertise to solve.”

Where we go from here

While researchers solved the mystery of the golden orb, Earth’s deep oceans still hold many mysteries, NOAA said.

“So often in deep-ocean exploration, we find these captivating mysteries, like the ‘golden orb.’ With advanced techniques like DNA sequencing, we are able to solve more and more of them,” said Capt. William Mowitt, acting director of NOAA Ocean Exploration. “This is why we keep exploring — to unlock the secrets of the deep and better understand how the ocean and its resources can drive economic growth, strengthen our national security and sustain our planet.”