SALPS Have Arrived!
SALPS Have Arrived!
There have been a migration on our beaches these past few weeks. Small clear jellyfish looking creatures have been found in packs from Cape May up to Sandy Hook.
Many of you shared concerns about these creatures and had great questions about why this was happening. I decided to do a little research to answer your questions.
We reached out to our friends at the Chesapeake Bay Program and National Geographic to help provide some answers.
To get things started, these clear circles are called Salps or thalia democratica.
Salps are very gentle to the environment. They do not sting and they do not bite. Thought they may be described as jellyfish or jellyfish eggs, they are actually very different. The only common traits are that they are gelatinous and both float in the ocean.
There are many different kinds of salps around the world. They are mostly known to live in the Arctic with some slaps growing up to 10 inches.
The reason why you find them in groups, or what is known as budding, is that they travel in a chain. What happens is that that a salp, creates clones of themselves and those clones stay connected. This connection can sometimes grow up to 50 feet long. These chains move together through-out the ocean.
Now for the bigger question. How are they getting to our beaches. Just like many other floating ocean organisms, they move by wind. Right now the Gulf Stream is pulling them down towards us.
So next time you see them, know that they traveled a long ways to be on our beach!
Hopefully we answered all the questions you had about Salps! If not shoot us an email.