Salps being noticed on the Washington coast for the first time in known history

[Emily]

http://olyopen.net/category/sea-life/salps/

Odd creature showing up on Washington?s coast?King 5
Posted on February 15, 2013 by Al B.

"It started with a few sightings here and there. Now a strange sea creature, a salp, is showing up on beaches and in crab pots up and down the Washington Coast, raising curiosity and concerns. Marine expert Alan Rammer said he?s received several calls from people asking what they are. He told us they are members of the tunicate family called ?salps? and are a harmless visitor from the South. Gary Chittim reports." http://www.king5.com/news/local/Odd-creature-showing-up-on-WA-coast-191283061.html

There was news about a massive salp population explosion in California last summer:

http://science.kqed.org/quest/2012/07/03/ocean-overrun-with-gentle-gelatinous-salps/

Ocean Overrun With Gentle Gelatinous Salps
Danna Staaf Post on Jul 03, 2012 by Danna Staaf from QUEST Northern California

What looks like a jellyfish but is closely related to humans? The answer is an oceanic animal called a salp, and right now the waters off California are teeming with unprecedented numbers of these creatures.

Salps are essentially transparent jet-propelled tubes. Their life cycle alternates between solitary swimmers, each smaller than your hand, and aggregated colonies that can grow longer than a bus....

http://www.pgecurrents.com/2012/04/...-canyon-powers-down-after-sea-salp-migration/

http://www.pgecurrents.com/2012/04/27/san-luis-obispo-county-diablo-canyon-powers-down-after-sea-salp-migration/

Posted on April 27, 2012
San Luis Obispo County: Diablo Canyon Powers Down after Sea Salp Migration

AVILA BEACH ? PG&E has powered down Unit 2 at its Diablo Canyon Power Plant after a migration of small jellyfish-like creatures known as sea salps.

As reported by the San Luis Obispo Tribune, southerly winds began blowing the salps into the plant?s cooling water intake cove on Tuesday. Plant operators noticed differences in water pressure at the intake structure, which meant the salps were beginning to clog the rolling screens in front of the intake....

 

[Emily]

Re: Salps being noticed on the Washington coast

Re: Salps being noticed on the Washington coast

http://peninsuladailynews.com/article/20130224/news/302249985/0/SEARCH

Gelatinous sea creatures wash up on Peninsula, S. Washington beaches

In this photo provided by crabber Adam Miller out of Westport, a salp is held by a crew member after being found in a crab pot. The state Department of Fish & Wildlife and marine life experts say the small jellyfish-like creatures have been washing up on beaches and showing up in crab pots for the first time in memory on the Pacific coast.

By Doug Esser
The Associated Press

The same gelatinous sea creatures that clogged the intake at a California nuclear power plant last spring have shown up this winter on the Olympic Peninsula coast...