Posted on 07/27/2002 4:49:20 AM PDT by ResistorSister
City work crews Friday removed nine tons of dead jumbo squid that had blanketed La Jolla Cove and the Children's Pool area since Thursday.
"Basically I have a bucket brigade down here," said Angel Prado, grounds maintenance manager for the city of San Diego. "We have a line of employees, and I'm at the end of the line."
A crew of about 20 workers began the cleanup at 7 a.m., filling numerous 200-pound metal drums. They were expected to be at the task all day, Prado said.
"We sent a least two trash trucks to the dump already," Prado said two hours into the job.
The squid are slimy, stinky and weigh about 1 to 2 pounds each, he said.
"It's just giant squid, " Prado said. "They average about a foot long."
Scientists theorize that the squid are following prey -- possibly grunion -- onto the shore.
"We don't really know why they're dying," Henry said. "When they show up at 3 o'clock in the morning, they're still alive. I think once they're stuck on the sand, they're stranded."
Birch Aquarium curator Bob Burhans said he thinks the squid, a species known commonly as "Humboldt" or "Flying Squid," spawned -- which kills them -- or ran into trouble in cold water.
"It was so thick yesterday, the water was inked," he said.
The giant squid are not native to the area and are normally found further south, from the Sea of Cortez to Brazil, Henry said. Unusually warm water has brought them to the area, and that may indicate that an El Niño weather pattern is developing, she said.
Burhans said cold water -- with temperatures around 55 degrees -- returned to the area off La Jolla this week.
Crews worked about four hours before the tide came in Friday and removed 4 tons of squid, said Dennis Simmons, beach manager for the city's Park and Recreation Department. The carcasses filled three trash trucks that carried them to the dump, he said.
Health officials have determined there is no human health risk and will not post signs at the beaches, said Clay Clifton of the county Department of Environmental Health.
However, Burhans noted, the collection of dead squid could attract predators, including sharks.
Henry said she collected about 40 samples of the dead squid to examine later she, and fellow marine biologist Eric Hochberg, will dissect some of the squid to rule out that they died from disease.
Hochberg, from Santa Barbara, has been studying the occurrences of squid washing ashore along the California coast, Henry said.
She said some of the samples will be turned over to schools for science programs.
Does anyone know if this has happened before when the water has been unusually warm?
They also cause acne.
Or course, the article does say that this type of squid prefers warmer water. Other types of squid prefer cold water. I like both kinds.
I like both kinds of music, too. Classical and bagpipes (apologies to The Blues Brothers).
Looks like evolution killed them.
If they only had legs!!!!
btw: Don't you think the squid look like bagpipes, I mean, if you squint your eyes and turn your head to the side?
Only after imbibing copious amounts of single malt, lassie. <|:)~
Duh...
So, you know what I am talking about, cool!
You have to remember that gasoline is considered evil in California. All problems in California have been caused by either White Males or Gasoline (Which was brought to California by White Males). Therefor you can not use Gasoline to burn anything in California. OF course the proper thing to do is to require all White Males in California to go to the beach, pick up one dead/dying squid, and take it home to lean cultural/biological cultural awareness. {I'm sure someone in So. Cal. is probably asking for this which makes me so glad I movedto Texas!}
Contestants in the annual San Diego Hillary Clinton look-alike contest pause for a few moments of relaxation on the Coronado Hotel Beach.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.