Mysterious Goo-Like Life Form Found On Ship In US: "Venom Showing Up Wasn't On My Bingo Card"
The colour and consistency of the tar-like substance surprised Mr Lee, who plopped it in water to see if it left a sheen. It didn't, prompting Mr Lee to use a blowtorch to see if the slimy substance would burn. It didn't do that either,
Baffled by the alien material, Doug Ricketts, marine superintendent for the Blue Heron, collected the goo in a sample bag and shipped it for the experts at the University of Minnesota Duluth to investigate, according to a report in Cleveland.com.
Cody Sheik, an associate professor at the university and an expert in microbial ecology, used chemicals to crack open the cells of the goo and the microscopic inner workings. The substance, which is thought to be a single-celled organism, is now being temporarily called ShipGoo1.
"The biggest surprise was that the ship goo had life in it at all," said Mr Sheik, adding: "We thought we'd find nothing. But surprisingly, we found DNA and it wasn't too destroyed, nor was the biomass too low."
Sequencing the DNA and comparing it to global databases, the team found that the goo contained a species unknown to science.
"It's fun science. By calling it ship goo for now, it brings some joy to our science. We can find novelty wherever we look."
Mr Sheik initially thought the goo was old grease, until learning that the rudder post, where it was oozing from, is only lubricated with water from the lake. It's possible ShipGoo001 is carbon-based and derived from stuff floating in the water, he added.
Social media reacts
As the news of the discovery went viral, a section of social media users said it was a bad idea to explore the material, while others drew similarities between the goo and the Venom symbiote.
"A mysterious living black goo...What could go wrong?" said one user while another added: "We don't have time for venom to run around Cleveland."
A fourth said: "Venom showing up was not on my 2025 bingo card."
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