A small village located on a remote spot of the Alaskan coast awoke one morning last week with an unexpected surprise. A strange substance glowing a neon orange color appeared atop the water, astounding and concerning the villagers. This is the first time any such incidence has occurred, and the mystery is still unsolved. Exactly what is this mystery goo, where did it come from, and is it potentially harmful?
It sounds like a piece of science fiction straight from the comic books, but it’s reality for people of the small Alaskan village of Kivalina. According to International Business Times, a strange orange-colored goo appeared last week along the shore of Kivalina, a small, remote Alaskan village. Villagers were stunned by the appearance of the mysterious goo, which had an oil-like sheen to it and a powdery look. After a rain, the orange goo was also found in rain buckets and on a roof. After a week, the orange goo was gone, leaving behind a powdery residue. Although the orange goo has disappeared, villagers are worried that the eggs, because they are microscopic, may still be present in the water.
So what is this mysterious phenomenon? After examination of the orange goo, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced the goo to be a large mass of microscopic eggs filled with fatty droplets and most likely the eggs of some small crustacean. The NOAA states that the eggs are natural; they are not man-made or a form of chemical pollution, and the orange color is due to the oil droplet in the middle.
However, there are still unanswered questions. Where did these eggs come from, and are they toxic? Unfortunately, the NOAA has yet to identify the species of these strange orange eggs. Though quite certain in their identification of the goo, they are just not certain as to the species, and they are also unsure if the eggs are toxic.
This raises concerns for the local villagers. Villagers depend on water supply from the Wulik River, in which the orange goo was also found, and they have suspended storing water from the river until the scientists have a concrete identification. Also, Kivalina residents live largely off the land, and concerns have risen about the effect of the orange goo on local wildlife and plants.
Some are accrediting this strange goo to climate change and others to extraterrestrial activity; that may indeed be science fiction, but scientists are investigating the matter and, hopefully, will arrive at the conclusion soon.