Incredible facts
The research vessel Nautilus, equipped with a laboratory with cameras, discovered a small glowing purple sphere under water off the Channel Islands, the coast of California.
Researchers from the Ocean Research Foundation published a video showing an unusual find. The main purpose of the ship's mission was to study deep-sea corals, but a strange balloon caught the attention of scientists.
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Scientists admitted that they do not know what this strange creature could be. After they decided to sample, the sphere began to unfold and split into two parts.
Some experts have suggested that this may be some new species of nudibranchs or sea slugs, or something between coral and jellyfish, while others believe it may be the protective membrane of the egg or embryo.
It is also believed that this could be a completely new kind of creature.
Marine life (video)
Nudibranchs are soft-bodied marine mollusks that are often brightly colored – they come in bright shades of orange, blue and pink. Some are shaped like snails, others have small bulges and outgrowths of various shapes.
The video once again reminds us that the ocean is a mysterious place even for scientists. Overall, humans have explored only less than 5 percent of the ocean floor.
As for the purple sphere, we will have to wait to answer the question of what it is. As explained by the team of specialists, it may take several years before it can be determined whether an organism is a completely new species.