The marine heatwave is evident and it affects the sea creatures. Millions of bizarre blob-like creatures were seen on the shore of West Coast beaches amid the warming water.
Bizarre Sea Creature Washed Ashore on West Coast Beaches
Researchers from Oregon State University found numerous pyrosomes or "sea pickles" washed ashore on the West Coast beaches. It was the first time they were seen in 25 years.
The gelatinous, transparent creatures were also found along the coast of Oregon and California. Sometimes, they were spotted as far as Alaska. The sighting was believed to be due to the warming of the seas as a result of climate change.
"Pyrosomes consume animals at the base of the food web and lock up that energy," said Lisa Crozier, a research scientist at NOAA Fisheries Northwest Fisheries Science Center and co-author of the paper. "They're taking energy out of the system that predators need."
Pyrosomes are made up of colonies of thousands of animals called zooids. They can grow from a few centimeters into hollow tubes 60 feet long, big enough to accommodate an adult human. The luciferase gene in marine animals produces light, and when it combines with a luminescent substance, the light travels up and down the tube, enabling the animal to see many yards ahead of it.
They can also procreate with a sexual partner or by asexual reproduction, which is essentially self-cloning. The data from two fisheries, three nutrient pools, five detritus pools, and eighty types of organisms gathered since 2014 were examined by the researchers.
The 2013 maritime heatwave known as "the Blob" raised ocean temperatures, which favored the growth of pyrosomes while causing a reduction in salmon, cod, and Dungeness crabs, leading to the closure of several fisheries.
Because animals' metabolic rates increase in warmer water and result in increased energy consumption, scientists have conjectured whether rising temperatures are to blame.
Bull Shark Population Rises Due to Warming Water
Pyrosomes are not the only species that thrive in warming water. Shark experts noticed that there was also an increase in the population of bull sharks.
This aggressive spark species thrives in warm, shallow coastal waters in both freshwater and saltwater environments. In Alabama's Mobile Bay estuary, the number of young bull sharks has increased fivefold in the last 20 years, along with rising sea surface temperatures.
Bull sharks, along with great white sharks and tiger sharks, are among the shark species most likely to have an adverse interaction with people. Because of their aggressive temperament and ability to travel up rivers, they are believed to be the most dangerous to humans. Additionally, they like shallow coastal waters, which makes human interaction more likely.
In February 2023, an Australian teenage girl drowned after being attacked by a bull shark. She was with her friends and decided to swim when she saw a pod of dolphins. Stella Berry, 16, was swimming on the banks of the Swan River in North Fremantle, Perth, when a bull shark suddenly attacked her, leading to her death.
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