Fair Isle beachcombing finds – Species spotlight

Once a month we will be sharing a marine species reported via the Fair Isle Marine WhatsApp group. This group is a space for community members and visitors to the isle to share any interesting marine finds. These reports also contribute to marine species records for Fair Isle to help monitor changes in biodiversity.

This month we have this amazing salp found by Ruth whilst swimming at North Haven. Although salps are widespread across Atlantic and Pacific oceans, sightings are generally less common on our Northern shores. However, in certain conditions, such as onshore winds bringing salps closer to shore can make sightings more likely.

Salps are a type of tunicate (sea squirt) from the Salpidae family. They have a semi-transparent gelatinous exoskeleton which pumps water through to help propel themselves through the water. Salps are filter feeders and feed on tiny plankton in the water column.

Seawater temperatures and ocean currents are believed to influence salps occurring in dense numbers, known as ‘blooms’, however a number of environmental conditions are believed to be involved.

Fun fact – salps can increase their body length by up to 10% every hour which makes them one of the fastest growing multicellular animals on Earth!

credit: Diane Stout