Strange holes on the seafloor appear as a closely aligned, regularly repeating pattern.

Strange holes on the seafloor appear as a closely aligned, regularly repeating pattern. Tiny piles of sediment are piled around them. (Image credit: NOAA)

They don't know who or what made the holes, which were found roughly 1.6 miles below the ocean surface.

The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is a mostly unexplored region of the Earth's seafloor that is part of the world's largest mountain range.

The holes form a straight line and are surrounded by small mounds of dirt. Two marine scientists from the U.S. National Marine fisheries service spotted holes in the ocean floor in 2004.

There are real-life Atlantis settlements hidden beneath the waves.

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The holes have been reported from the region, but their origin remains a mystery. While they look almost human made, the little piles of debris around the holes make them seem like they were excavated by someone.

The exact origins of the holes are unknown because no one has seen organisms making them. The public speculation ranged from cracks in the floor's surface made by escaping gas, to underwater human craft digging for treasure, to ants, aliens and starfish doing cartwheels.

The mystery is similar to the one that ocean explorers found on top of an underwater mountain in Hawaii. Scientists believed that the strange path was caused by the heating and cooling of the seafloor.

It may take a bit more time to figure out what is creating the holes. The researchers will explore the region until September in order to map out the region's coral reefs and sponge habitats. They might catch the hole-maker if they are lucky.

It was originally published on Live Science