Strange sea creatures found off the coasts of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland
All photos courtesy: Katie Baker/LFA 33 & LFA 34 Lobster Fisherman association/Facebook
Digital Reporter
Wednesday, January 14, 2015, 9:02 PM - Scientists are appealing to the public for more information on a set of strange sea creatures called salps that have been found off the coasts of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia.
Fishermen on the east coast have been finding the gelatinous creatures in their lobster traps, and authorities would like to hear from anyone who has found one.
Katie Baker posted a series of photos of the salps to the Facebook page of a local lobster fishermen's association in late November, sparking a lengthy online conversation. One woman replied she had seen them "all over the beach" at John's Cove in Nova Scotia.
“The entire beach was covered in them," recalled another woman named Rebeckah Fitzgerald, who saw the salps in late September.
"The water line looked like thousands of mini jelly fish and you could literally take your hands if you walked out knee high and scoop handfuls of them from the water.”
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Salps feed on phytoplankton and can grow incredibly fast, up to 10 percent of their body length per hour.
Government officials are monitoring the salps. They're typically found in warmer regions during the fall and it's too early too tell if this year's bloom is larger than previous years.
People who have come into contact with the salps are asked to email AZMP-PMZA@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.
BIZARRE SEA CREATURES YOU DIDN'T KNOW EXISTED:
