# A 9,700-pound drone with 28 lights on it set a 10-inch square down on the seafloor 16,863 feet off American Samoa, scooped out the metal lumps growing inside that square, and bottled the water just above them to test whether a radioactive gas can find mor

> **Open Intelligence Dossier** · First detected: 2026-09-13 04:07 UTC · Category: Science

## Executive Summary
4 news sources are covering this Science story right now — PULSE is tracking how fast it spreads.

## Intelligence Brief
"A 9,700-pound drone with 28 lights on it set a 10-inch square down on the seafloor 16,863 feet off American Samoa, scooped out the metal lumps growing inside that square, and bottled the water just above them to test whether a radioactive gas can find mor" is generating significant coverage in the Science category, with 6 articles from 4 distinct sources tracked by PULSE so far.


Outlets currently covering the story include NOAA Ocean Exploration (.gov), Samoa Observer, scubaverse.com and Autonocion.com. PULSE measures a story's velocity from how quickly new articles appear and how many independent newsrooms join the coverage.


This brief was generated by PULSE's extractive engine from coverage metadata only. The latest headlines from every source are listed below; the velocity chart shows how the story is developing in real time.

## Multi-Source Evidence Table
| Source Outlet | Headline | Verification URL |
|---|---|---|
| NOAA Ocean Exploration (.gov) | Dive 10: East Samoa Basin Nodule Field (12C) | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiWkFVX3lxTE1ud0hZc1BQckYxWV9lVHA3OGoyMHk3MTFqbW1ieDBMYWd1RlIxNXJPTm92X3JJelFBbnJNbFZnbnVQYlJQakNMeTc4R1prYTRjNFhCa19iMEp2QQ?oc=5) |
| NOAA Ocean Exploration (.gov) | Anemone, Sponge, Megalodon Tooth | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMifkFVX3lxTFBfMTJQMWQ4Zm9NdlkxQkNscnB0VkFIYjd4QkE0UUFiRDJCbW5vOXY3QkRKbUZ1V1Y0RWV1MExBWTR0c0hYUjE0LTh4Mm1tMmZPYUJlMllyZEF5UTlVTElhUWhBSUQ1LWtqTFRjM2tESXhmeUg2TllnbUh6QjUydw?oc=5) |
| Samoa Observer | Deep-sea exploration finds polymetallic nodule field around American Samoa | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiX0FVX3lxTE5ibnhZOTFXM3hvRlZJR05OVk5vNDlDV2RBUEM1Y1A0VWNoaThaYUlJaUhvdTRoeUJKSHFmSUxPUU4wcE5odHdvelpDbDJfWkVkWEFnZm9zZVRIMm4tVmNn?oc=5) |
| scubaverse.com | ROV Dives Reveal Life More Than Five Kilometres Beneath American Samoa | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimgFBVV95cUxQckozOVdWcDVERC1uRnJUUlNEX2FRX3JDVDNzRkQ5THVHbS1VUFhYN1lNemxoOGZidmxmbjVteXdIdTFXYmJYTHhBRG80V1JUeVg0aHBEQjNnUmxMTmYtUmdyYmF1eFZ4ZklxSm5Od2ZuNmwyamptWk9yYlo2N01jcU5mVnJnM3pRM0F0VHdKOWZWX2piSUZGOGhB?oc=5) |
| NOAA Ocean Exploration (.gov) | Barnacles and Amphipods | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMidEFVX3lxTFBIcEg3R2dsQmdPa0VneHkyN1BjQ0VzeGczS1BwcWtralVPdGJEc1c4THJWNjVfTjhITzZUcWtSWDBzZHM2TDlLVXZBX0dqZUpTaFl0dFJ5aHg0UFNwdGZCUFFxZEUydHk5WUxyT2ZfV0s2ZHVl?oc=5) |
| Autonocion.com | A 9,700-pound drone with 28 lights on it set a 10-inch square down on the seafloor 16,863 feet off American Samoa, scooped out the metal lumps growing inside that square, and bottled the water just above them to test whether a radioactive gas can find mor | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMifkFVX3lxTE1jTGY3ZndsWVBXREY1ZFYyWU9teXVINWo3bVJxdWNCWTV1bkxCSDFQUU9lQ0RMdm92elFwaWtVZW5sQnJYV2dSRnFpNEkzNFQxNkdFQk1sWnpEQzNXUmdOLVAtVTMwa09vYkZuXzRYSkJFRl9YUU1xYVZRSlZadw?oc=5) |

---
*Canonical Source: https://pulse.byoviral.com/trend/2026-09-13/a-9-700-pound-drone-with-28-lights-on-it-set-a-10-inch-square-down-on-the*