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Billions of mysterious jelly-fish-like creatures wash up on beaches along the west coast of the U.S

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posted on Aug, 21 2014 @ 06:45 AM
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Billions of mysterious small creatures have been washed up on beaches along the west coast of the U.S, from Southern California to British Columbia. Velella - also known as sea raft, by-the-wind sailor, purple sail, little sail - are gelatinous, oval-shaped critters that live on the surface of the ocean.




The jelly-fish-like creatures each measure around seven to 10 centimetres, are bright blue and distinguished by a gas-filled float that rises above the surface of the water.
This fin-like structure means that their direction of travel depends entirely on the winds and the currents.
The number of velella that have washed up on North America’s beaches is staggering, with possibly billions stranded.
Kevin Raskoff, professor of Biology at Monterey Peninsula College, told Scpr.org: ‘The numbers, if you extrapolate, are awe inspiring. With some of my students we counted more than a thousand per meter. The numbers get astronomical pretty fast.’
Experts find the creatures perplexing as little is known about their true nature.
The creatures are similar to jellyfish as they sting to stun their prey – though they’re not capable of causing humans much pain - and have a similar structure.





Travel guide Michael Ellis, writing in Bay Nature said that their stranding is thought to coincide with the warming up of coastal waters.

I know these creatures are quite common throughout the oceans of the world but I find this strange because until a few days ago I had never heard of these little critters, I saw a picture of them posted on my facebook newsfeed from my local Radio station as people here in Ireland are finding them washed up on shore also, we are a long way from the east coast of America. These critters may be dying out.

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posted on Aug, 21 2014 @ 07:29 AM
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If these creatures travel solely by sail and wind , how did such a massive number end up in one place?
Was there one long , massive wind event? I don't think so.
I also would like to point out they're beaching rather close to the Cascadia subduction zone.
I'd also like to point out another obvious fact , they're beaching in a very elevated number from what is considered normal , usually it's by the thousands.

I'm sure they'll test some , i'm also sure we'll hear a very benign reason.
Then we won't hear anything on the subject again...so is it normal or abnormal?



posted on Aug, 21 2014 @ 07:36 AM
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a reply to: ujustneverknow



Exploding jellyfish population a warning sign of worsening ocean health
www.naturalnews.com...




Signs continue to emerge showing that the ocean waters are changing in pH, moving toward a more acidic state. As jellyfish populations explode in specific areas of the oceans, scientists warn of a new era of declining ocean health teaming with imbalances of ecology. In fact, marine biologists are beginning to notice intense jellyfish populations expanding in areas never seen before. These invertebrates can compete with whales for food and threaten their survival. Even more dangerous, jellyfish populations pose an ongoing threat to nuclear power plants, threatening shutdowns.


We should perhaps make jellyfish a consumer/food product, or for other usages.
edit on 21-8-2014 by Plugin because: (no reason given)



originally posted by: Lady_TuathaThese critters may be dying out.


I think the opposite; becoming like yellyfish a plague out of control due to oceans becoming more acid where they can thrive (also algae) where fish&whales will more likely die out.
edit on 21-8-2014 by Plugin because: (no reason given)



posted on Aug, 21 2014 @ 07:51 AM
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Really good info , that would explain things !!!
Yeah , someone needs to figure out a way to market them..lol.
they're one of the oddest creatures I have ever seen , really interesting though.
Thanks for the explanation



posted on Aug, 21 2014 @ 07:54 AM
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a reply to: Plugin

Yeah, we have to be afraid of the sun, mosquitos, ticks, Africanized bees, and chemicals used to keep our food fresh looking. Add that to things we have always needed to be skeptical about like sharks in the ocean or rattlesnakes. Now we have to be afraid that the jellyfish are going to take out a nuclear power plant and causing a major event.

I think nature is pissed at us for destroying it.



posted on Aug, 21 2014 @ 07:58 AM
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a reply to: Plugin

Interesting thanks! I am still confused as to why these critters are washing up around the world, is it really down to people noticing more due to the numbers increase?

as to a use for jellyfish -

Diapers Made From Jellyfish The Next Big Thing In Green Parenting



posted on Aug, 21 2014 @ 08:20 AM
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a reply to: Lady_Tuatha

They can't steer like jellyfish and they always wash up on beaches, just since they increase in numbers you see them much more lately I think.. Don't know that much about them really.

Those critters do have little sails I just read. So with big storms you can see them washing up in great numbers as well.

There was a big storm lately there?




edit on 21-8-2014 by Plugin because: (no reason given)



posted on Aug, 21 2014 @ 08:30 AM
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There is a theory that the mass accumulations of many marine species near the western seaboard of NA has been caused by a migration eastward across the Pacific, driven by the toxic radioactive plume of Fukushima.

If that is the case, and I believe it is, we are deliberately being kept in the dark.



posted on Aug, 21 2014 @ 08:35 AM
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a reply to: Plugin

Nothing out of the usual, we haven't had a particularly hot summer this year but no bad stormy weather, but I see what your saying, they go where the wind blows them and with the increase in numbers we are seeing more and more of them where just a few would have gone unnoticed .



posted on Aug, 21 2014 @ 08:43 AM
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originally posted by: Plugin
a reply to: Lady_Tuatha

They can't steer like jellyfish and they always wash up on beaches, just since they increase in numbers you see them much more lately I think.. Don't know that much about them really.



The pattern of currents in the Northern Pacific Ocean is a circular gyre that tends to bring floating objects into the centre of the ocean, not to "end up on beaches".

That's why we have the mid-ocean garbage patch.

Balloonists can't steer their craft either, but by rising or descending, they can control their direction of travel. The same goes for these creatures. The higher in the water column they float, the more eastward their travel due to the prevailing winds caused by the direction of the Earths rotation.

If these animals inflate to the max, and stay that way, they WILL end up on a NA beach. If they sink they will travel westward and remain in the ocean wide whirlpool.

Something is causing them to inflate and travel eastward and I expect it is a 'flight' response, since they can't 'fight' radioactive isotopes.

That, or they are following their food source eastward.

Either way, the underlying cause is the nuclear melt-throughs at Fukushima Daiichi toxifying the ocean outwards from Japan.
edit on -05:0052148572014-08-21T08:57:52-05:00 by Psynic because: (no reason given)



posted on Aug, 21 2014 @ 09:16 AM
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a reply to: Lady_Tuatha

More signs of imbalance.

...But of course it's not industry's fault.



[F&S&
]



posted on Aug, 21 2014 @ 10:49 AM
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originally posted by: rickymouse
a reply to: Plugin

Now we have to be afraid that the jellyfish are going to take out a nuclear power plant and causing a major event.



Al Qadea jellyfish?!?! Quick someone call DHS!!

I`m really surprised that someone hasn`t found a commercial use for jellyfish yet, maybe in the medical industry?



posted on Aug, 21 2014 @ 10:57 AM
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I've seen those type of jellyfish before on the Atlantic side on Florida's beaches. There are not uncommon and usually come in as swarms. The jellyfish themselves are not mysterious, where they are being found is.



posted on Aug, 21 2014 @ 10:58 AM
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a reply to: Tardacus

Cannonball jellyfish is considered a delicacy by some. I believe they are dehydrated and salted....
edit on 21-8-2014 by jrod because: typos



posted on Aug, 21 2014 @ 11:42 AM
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a reply to: Lady_Tuatha
Last week our beach here at the South end of the state (ca) was covered also. These are usually considered rare finds as I remember seeing a newspaper article years ago when a beachcomber found one.

I have seen dozens on the beach before during some time in the years I have lived here but not the thousands that are there right now.



posted on Aug, 21 2014 @ 11:47 AM
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originally posted by: ujustneverknow
Really good info , that would explain things !!!
Yeah , someone needs to figure out a way to market them..lol.
they're one of the oddest creatures I have ever seen , really interesting though.
Thanks for the explanation





Each "individual" with its sail is really a hydroid colony, with many polyps that feed on ocean plankton and are connected by a canal system that enables the colony to share whatever food is ingested by individual polyps. Each by-the-wind sailor is a colony of all-male or all-female polyps.

en.wikipedia.org...

They truly are strange creatures, I hope it has nothing to do with the plankton.



posted on Aug, 21 2014 @ 02:50 PM
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Of course this has nothing to do with radiation. Move along people



posted on Aug, 21 2014 @ 04:22 PM
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Study found that the main reason for jellyfish explosion is the over fishing of oceans. The fishing industry is destroying the life balance in oceans by introducing bottom trawling etc to try squeeze more profit from dwindling fish populations.



posted on Aug, 21 2014 @ 04:31 PM
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It is a strange thing, I just got back from Longbeach, WA where me and my family have been going every year for the past 20 years, and i've never even seen one of them on the beach. Now there's thousands of them, possibly millions, that stretched as far as the eye can see down the beach.



posted on Aug, 21 2014 @ 04:35 PM
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a reply to: Slanter

El Nino appears to be in effect. This may be another possible cause. If I remember correctly, water temps on the West CONUS usually run higher than average during El Nino. Maybe the warmer water was something to do with the jellyfish swarm.




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