We found out they are salps because Suzan Bellincampi, the director at Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary and a writer for the Vineyard Gazette, sent us an article she wrote. Kelly, who works for the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, also sent us an article.
We learned that salps clone
themselves and create chains, during a part of their life cycle. Some species of salps can be up to fifty feet
long.
Did you know that salps can help
with global warming by reducing the amount of carbon in the atmosphere by
eating lots of algae? Algae consume
carbon dioxide. When salps poop, they
poop carbon too, and their POOP quickly sinks to the bottom of the ocean. We are probably seeing more this year because
they had more food.
To learn more about salps, check
out these articles.
http://vineyardgazette.com/news/2015/07/15/introducing-salps-amazing-creatures-open-ocean?k=vg5595efddb907c
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/07/150722-salp-beaches-oceans-animals-science/
3 comments:
That's pretty interesting Grey. Thanks for posting this and linking the articles. I was wondering what those things were! So Salps eat algae, but do you know if anything eats Salps?
Thanks for sharing your blog. You have been busy exploring this summer. I enjoyed reading and watching the blog, and I learned a lot from you.
It was very interesting reading about salps. I think you must have been surprised to find a new (to you) creature in such abundance on the beach at Martha's Vineyard. I like the way you researched it.
Some fish eats salps. Salps have also been found in the stomachs of albatrosses and seals. 95% of salps are made of water and therefore do not have enough calories for birds or marine mammals.
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