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Scientists stumped after finding mysterious holes in seafloor, pics surprise people

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shared the pics showing holes in seafloor which have stumped scientists.

Published on: Jul 29, 2022, 14:45:59 IST
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The underwater world is mysterious. Adding to the numerous enigmas of that world is this new mystery which has stumped scientists at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a US federal agency.

The pic shows mysterious holes in the seafloor which has baffled scientists. (Twitter/@oceanexplorer)
The pic shows mysterious holes in the seafloor which has baffled scientists. (Twitter/@oceanexplorer)

NOAA took to their official Twitter handle to share the pictures and also about the mystery. “On Saturday's #Okeanos dive, we saw several sublinear sets of holes in the seafloor. The origin of the holes has scientists stumped. The holes look human made, but the little piles of sediment around them suggest they were excavated by...something,” they wrote. They also asked people about what they think. “What's YOUR hypothesis?” they added.

"They also shared one line descriptions for both the images. “Small holes in a line on a tan seafloor,” they wrote for the first image. “A series of small rectangular holes in a line on the seafloor,” they shared for the second.

Take a look at the post:

The post has been shared on July 26. Since being posted, the share has gathered over 400 likes. It has also accumulated several comments from people.

“Something laying on the sea bed that some small creature has excavated/eaten leaving the holes in its place? Vertebrae of an animal or fossil maybe?” suggested a Twitter user. “At what depth? Could they be from long line fishing gear or lead line or tickler chain markings from deep water trawling? Just depends on depth of water,” joined in another. “Without knowing the size of the holes it’s difficult to make a guess. The amount of sediment pushed out around the hole suggests that it’s not very deep,” posted a third. “I was so intrigued by these - I hope someone comes up with some sort of explanation for them!” wrote a fourth.

  • Trisha Sengupta
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Trisha Sengupta

    Trisha Sengupta is a Chief Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over six years of digital newsroom experience. Specialising in high-engagement storytelling, she blends viral trends with traditional journalism to cover the intersection of technology, finance, and human emotion. Her reporting spans real estate and personal finance struggles in hubs like Bengaluru and Gurgaon, the NRI experience, and corporate shifts like tech layoffs. Trisha also frequently tracks global figures and writes human interest stories. Offline, Trisha is an avid reader, history enthusiast and solo traveler. She balances her journalism career with family life while actively integrating AI tools into her modern storytelling approach.Read More