Buzz
East Coast visitors to the beach this weekend might spot clusters of gelatinous blobs washed ashore, carried in by shifting ocean currents. Though often mistaken for jellyfish eggs, these harmless gooey masses belong to a separate species entirely: Sea salps.
There are over 50 sub-species of sea salps, but those found on American coastlines are typically about the size of a thumbnail—on the smaller side compared to other species that can reach nearly a foot in length. These creatures belong to the tunicate family, and unlike jellyfish, they have primitive backbones within their translucent bodies.
Salps have a unique form of reproduction. They first reproduce asexually, forming long chains of cloned salps that take various shapes, such as wheels or double helixes, depending on the subspecies. These clone chains can grow as long as 50 feet before breaking apart into individual females, each carrying a single egg inside.
The females are fertilized by males (we'll get to them shortly), and the eggs they carry develop into embryos. Here's where it gets truly astonishing: While the embryo is still growing, these expectant mothers begin developing testes, transforming into the males that will later fertilize new salps once they break away from the chain. When the next generation emerges, they will start producing their own chains of clones, continuing the cycle.
In addition to their extraordinary reproductive behavior, the salps' ability to subtly combat climate change makes them particularly remarkable. Algae rely on carbon dioxide to thrive. During the process of creating their chains, salps consume massive amounts of algae. They then release dense fecal pellets, rich in carbon dioxide, which quickly sink to the ocean floor. Essentially, the salps' digestive process removes CO2 from the atmosphere and deposits it deep in the ocean.
Larry Madin, executive vice president and research director at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts, notes that while this won't solve the climate crisis, "It's one way of trying to balance out how much CO2 is in the atmosphere."
