This is just one post in the Weird & Wacky Water News Category

Jumbo squid invade waters off Pacific coast

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on April 27, 2008 at 6:05 am

From Wenatchee World (a newspaper in the state of Washington):

They aren’t your normal calamari. But the jumbo squid now lurking off the Pacific Northwest coast could threaten salmon runs and signal yet another change in the oceans brought on by global warming.

The squid, which can reach seven feet long and weigh up to 110 pounds, are aggressive, thought to hunt in packs and can move at speeds of up to 15 mph. In Mexico, they’re known as diablos rojos, or red devils. They reportedly will attack divers when they feel threatened.

No one knows exactly why they started appearing in increasing numbers off Washington state and Oregon, or how many of them there are, but scientists and commercial fishermen have found them in their nets every year since 2004. One ship trawling for Pacific hake captured an estimated 50 tons of the squid in one net haul. Though they usually prefer deep water, between 1,000 and 1,500 squid washed up on the Long Beach Peninsula in southwest Washington in the fall of 2004.

“This is a new phenomenon,” said Jason Phillips, a faculty research assistant at Oregon State University’s Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport. A briefing paper from the science center suggested that the jumbo squid may be “well established” in the Pacific Northwest.

Check out the rest of this story from Wenatchee World, which has lots of pictures, by clicking here. (I’d post a picture over myself, but they look a little creepy…. )

April 27, 2008 · Filed Under Weird & Wacky Water News

Comments

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Aquafornia's Information Desk

Why the Delta is Important

Photo Tour of the SWP California Aqueduct

Aquafornia Photos on Flickr

Click here to view the Aquafornia Photo Library

Upcoming Events

Check out the upcoming events from the Water Education Foundation.

Aquafornia's Mission

Aquafornia's mission is to educate readers about the complex and often controversial issues surrounding water in California.

Aquafornia is affiliated with the Water Education Foundation, an impartial non-profit organization, whose mission is to create a better understanding of water issues and help resolve water resource problems through educational programs.