Thousands of sea cucumbers have reportedly washed ashore in the Oregon coastal town of Seaside, roughly 80 miles west of Portland, due to powerful waves and low tide. The translucent sea creatures typically burrow into the sand along the low tide line and beyond, but could be seen covering more than two miles of beach, according to the Associated Press.
“They are literally the tideline,” Tiffany Boothe, the assistant manager of the Seaside Aquarium, said. “They’re about a half-inch long but can grow to about six inches.”
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Wash ups by the thousands are rare
Surf and tide conditions come together often enough for the phenomenon to occur on a smaller scale, anywhere from a few times a year to once every few years, according to marine biologists. However, mass wash-ups of sea cucumbers are more rare, and Boothe said she hasn’t seen one this large in years.
The geography of a coastline can reportedly play a factor in the amount of sea cucumbers washed up as strong waves and low tide pull the animals out of their burrows. The invertebrates present no danger to humans.
Boothe notes that the sea cucumbers aren’t much for mobility, so returning to their home near the low tideline and deeper into the water isn’t a possibility. As a result, she said the thousands of sea creatures have now likely dried up and died, but will continue to provide nutrients to the sand and become seafood for other creatures such as beach fleas and crabs.
What is a sea cucumber?
A sea cucumber is defined as a marine invertebrate, in the same family as sea stars and sea urchins, which live on the floor of the ocean. But unlike starfish and sea urchins, sea cucumbers’ bodies feature soft, leathery skin instead of hard spines.
How do they survive?
The marine animals feed by ingesting “detritus” from sediment or by filtering food through the water. They are vital to the ocean’s ecosystem by removing contaminants from the water and recycling nutrients, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
