In a discovery that sounds like it came straight out of a science fiction novel, marine biologists have uncovered over 2.6 million golden-colored eggs clustered near a deep-sea volcano on the Pacific Ocean floor.
The discovery was made during an expedition by the Ocean Exploration Trust aboard the exploration vessel Nautilus, which was investigating hydrothermal vents near a recently active underwater volcano.
The shimmering golden eggs, each roughly the size of a marble, were found carpeting the seafloor at depths exceeding 2,000 meters. Scientists believe the eggs were laid by an unknown species of deep-sea cephalopod, possibly a new type of octopus or squid that thrives in extreme thermal and chemical conditions.
“We’ve never seen anything like this — not in this quantity, not in this color, and not in this location,” said Dr. Marina Alvarez, a deep-sea biologist with the expedition team. “It’s one of the most extraordinary biological phenomena ever recorded.”
The golden hue of the eggs is believed to be due to metallic mineral absorption from the surrounding volcanic environment, though studies are ongoing to confirm their exact composition and origin.
Researchers have already collected samples and plan to hatch some of the eggs in controlled lab conditions to identify the species and understand its biology.
This remarkable find not only raises new questions about life in Earth’s most extreme environments but also strengthens the case for conserving the largely unexplored deep ocean ecosystems.
