It immediately reminded me of the ongoing search by some scholars in Israel for the Tekhelet color used for the ancient High Priest's robes.
It was also supposed to be from a sea creature.
And then there’s a kind of religious dispute. One side holds tekhelet won’t be reinstated until the Messianic Age, with the other holding that rediscovery of tekhelet is herald of the beginning of the Messianic Age.