The “unknown blue organism” was spotted several times during a dive in the Caribbean Sea.
This year, scientists driving a remote-operated vehicle (ROV) in the Caribbean Sea spotted a fascinating creature. For the time being, the cerulean lump has not been recognized, however it is likely to be a soft coral, sponge, or tunicate.
“Have you seen the newest #Okeanos mystery?” “National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Ocean Exploration announced in a Twitter post. “Seen several times off the coast of St. Croix, this “blue #goo” critter perplexed experts, who believed it was soft coral, sponge, or tunicate (definitely not a rock!).”
The strange blue ooze was discovered during Dive 08 of the third Voyage to the Ridge 2022 mission, according under the NOAA website. The mission carried them to the Caribbean Sea southwest of St. Croix, where they witnessed the mysterious blue creature on multiple occasions.
The “unidentified blue creature” is quite a sight, dressed in acid-washed jeans and a bobbly coat to compete with the rainbow sea slug.
“Okay, we’ve now seen a few of them, and I guess the mystery will remain until a sample can be retrieved,” one of the ROV operators says in the video. “We’re still unsure, and we all like a good mystery.”
Soft coral, sponge, or tunicate are likely suspects for the blue goo’s final identification. Soft corals like Smurf polyps and Sansibia flava show that this group of creatures isn’t ashamed to wear a little blue.
In terms of ocean sponges, Haliclona caerulea is a blue variation found in the Caribbean. Then there are tunicates like salps (not to mention Tethys vagina) and ascidians, where our blobby “blue biomat” would fit perfectly in.
With so many possibilities, it was a comfort to realize that one affirmative ID was no longer an option:
“I can assure you that that is not a rock.”
The NOAA’s Okeanos Explorer is no stranger to abnormalities in the water, and the scientists in the mysterious blue goo film can be heard remarking how frequently they meet at least one unexplained creature every dive. On the past, they’ve discovered starfish that resemble ravioli, as well as weird holes in the seafloor that appear to have been carved out by people.
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