ABOVE: An image taken by a remotely operated vehicle of an apparently novel species of comb jelly
NOAA OFFICE OF OCEAN EXPLORATION AND RESEARCH
Nearly two and a half miles below the surface of the ocean, in what’s known as the “midnight zone” because no sunlight can reach it, a remotely operated vehicle caught something strange in its video feed. At first, the object appeared to be a tiny party balloon. As the vehicle grew closer, an iridescent sphere about the size of a tennis ball filled the frame. Two long tentacles extended downward from its translucent body as it drifted by, hovering above the seafloor.
The video feed of this strange encounter was broadcast live on Facebook in 2015 to thousands of viewers as a staff scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) narrated. Later that day, oceanographer Allen Collins, also at NOAA, was scrolling through his Facebook ...
