Salps stump swimmers on regional beachesPhillip Rollo Salps have been spotted around Abel Tasman National Park and Tahunanui Beach in recent days. Gelatinous blobs appearing in the sea around Abel Tasman National Park have caused some swimmers to flee the water this week. NIWA marine biologist Dr Dennis Gordon confirmed the creatures were salps – "colonial chain-like planktonic relatives of sea squirts" that were completely unrelated to jellyfish. Gordon said salps were important in oceanic food webs, feeding on tiny plant plankton and organic particles in the sea. Last summer, swimmers at several Wellington beaches were surprised to be sharing the water with numerous jelly-like creatures, later identified as salps.

Source: Stuff March 04, 2017 01:07 UTC