Walking Along the Beach, She Found "Transparent Skinned Grapes"

A woman recently discovered a mysterious object resembling a peeled grape while walking on a beach in the United States. Curious, she touched it but couldn't identify what it was. Later, she found out that this "sea grape" was actually a salp, one of the fastest-growing multicellular animals on Earth and a key player in combating climate change.

Sally was walking on a beach in Southern California when she stumbled upon a jelly-like object that looked like a peeled grape or a jellyfish. After uploading a video of it online, she uncovered its true identity. The object was a salp, also known as a sea squirt, despite its resemblance to jellyfish. Salps have a transparent body and a nervous system similar to that of vertebrates.

@salpal333

They were alllll over the beach and I tried to google image it and nothing came up 😅 I assume a fish egg? What kind? #marinebiology #marinebiologist #socal #ocean #fish #fishegg #marine #seacreature

♬ original sound - David D

About Salps

Salps are gelatinous, barrel-shaped marine animals that form chains and move through the ocean by filtering water. They are often mistaken for jellyfish due to their appearance but are more closely related to humans in terms of their complex nervous and circulatory systems. Salps are known for their incredible growth rate, increasing their body length by up to 10% per hour and reaching maturity in just 48 hours, making them the fastest-growing multicellular animals on Earth.

These marine creatures play a crucial role in the ocean's ecosystem. They feed on phytoplankton, which absorbs carbon dioxide, thereby helping to combat climate change. The fecal pellets produced by salps are rich in carbon and sink to the ocean floor, effectively sequestering carbon for long periods.

Salps are found in oceans worldwide and are important for nutrient cycling. Their ability to rapidly form large populations allows them to take advantage of algal blooms, making them a vital component of the ocean's biological pump.