Mysterious balls of goo wash up on west coast beaches – what are they?

Oregon - Dozens of mysterious "goo balls" have appeared along beaches of the West Coast. But what looks to be a disgusting mystery is actually an annually recurring animal phenomenon!

Dozens of mysterious "goo balls" have appeared along beaches of the West Coast. But what looks to be a disgusting mystery is actually an annually recurring animal phenomenon!
Dozens of mysterious "goo balls" have appeared along beaches of the West Coast. But what looks to be a disgusting mystery is actually an annually recurring animal phenomenon!  © Collage: Screenshots/Seaside Aquarium/@Sam Heroux

According to Seaside Aquarium in Oregon, the transparent wobbly things are jellyfish that have been washed up on the beach.

Every year, in late summer and early autumn, this natural spectacle can be observed.

The reason why the coast is covered with lifeless animals at this time is due to a natural process.

Cat owner heartbroken to learn what pet does when she's gone!
Cats Cat owner heartbroken to learn what pet does when she's gone!

Jellyfish can come in two different forms.

Type one, the so-called medusae, reproduce by spawning en masse in the water and releasing eggs and sperm.

Fertilized eggs eventually become free-swimming larvae – and here's where it gets exciting!

If a large number of these larvae attach themselves to a hard surface, they can develop into type two, a so-called polyp.

If the sea conditions are favorable, each individual polyp begins to reproduce itself and shed body parts.

While polyps can live and reproduce for decades, medusae usually only live for a few months and eventually wash ashore.

The strange-looking creatures are not dangerous, nor are they threatened with extinction – while some jellyfish end up lifeless on the beach, numerous new jellies are born in the sea at the same time.

Cover photo: Collage: Screenshots/Seaside Aquarium/@Sam Heroux

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