Craig is temporarily a post-doctoral fellow at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute who is looking for a permanent position. He spends most of his time balancing his overwhelming geekdom with normalcy so he can function in the real world. Luckily his wife likes his geekiness.
Peter Etnoyer is a Graduate Research Associate at the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. He studies deep corals and ocean fronts, and he loves to be on the water.
Kevin Zelnio is a Graduate Student Researcher at Penn State studying the ecology of hydrothermal vent and methane seep communities. He raises awareness of the plight of the spineless through folk music.
Several news agencies are reporting today about an interesting phenomenon occurring in the Mississippi River.
In the last two years hurricanes have ravaged the Gulf coast causing millions of dollars of damage to property and the loss of numerous lives. More powerful hurricanes also destroyed millions of acres of marshes. "The significant loss of marshes on the southern Louisiana coast has allowed for Gulf of Mexico water to migrate up the Mississippi River," stated Dr. April Montgomery of the National Hurricane Center. This increases the saltiness of the river, what scientists refer to as salinity, letting several ocean organisms to move up the river. "Currently we have reports of marine species reaching as far up as Helena, Arkansas," noted Dr. Seth O'Dod. A deep-sea squid, however, has lead the invasion with record numbers. "Loligo fakei, a species typically found typically in the deep Gulf of Mexico, is moving up the Mississippi in dense schools but dying when they reach the warmer waters south of Memphis," stated O'Dod. Apparently, huge masses of dead squid are being found on the shores of the river.
I love this quote from Earl Jones in the Helena Independent Record.
"My family has been farming the shores of the river for 10 generations and I ain't never seen anything like this. The stank is awful but we been collecting them and spreading them across the field as fertilizer. We should have a better crop of soybeans this year."
Lower Mississippi River map showing areas of unconfirmed sightings of L. fakei
Comments
I doubt any will make it as far as St. Louis, but this seems to be an inaccuracy in the news report: "dying when they reach the warmer waters south of Memphis." I don't think the cause of death is from the water temperature getting warmer as they move further north up the Mississippi. Isn't it more likely they are dying from the drop in salinity or lower water temperature?
Posted by: Disgusted in St. Louis | April 1, 2007 5:23 AM
Posting news like this on April 1st definitely requires the extra saltiness - or at least a pinch of it.
Ian
Posted by: Ian Wood | April 1, 2007 5:31 AM
Hee. I love the scientific name of the squid in question.
Posted by: Firebyrd | April 1, 2007 11:19 AM
Hate to say it, but you got me hook & sinker! Mississippi squid, got a ring to it, title of my next song maybe.
DDeden
Posted by: DDeden | April 1, 2007 10:56 PM
Lol!
Ddeden:
Old black water, keep on rollin
Mississippi squid, wont you keep on shinin on me
Old black water, keep on rollin
Mississippi squid, wont you keep on shinin on me
Posted by: Melusine | April 2, 2007 8:22 AM
Nice. You had me. I was just about to send the post to my brother who works for the Northeast fisheries observers - we've been sending squid stories back and forth all year. Luckily I reread the post and noticed the scientific name and the post category. Nicely done.
Posted by: Jim Lemire | April 2, 2007 9:51 AM
This is a hilarious April Fool's joke! I'm definitely going to pass this along.
Posted by: Sharon Ewe | April 2, 2007 11:42 AM
Southern-fried calamari, yummmm. Can't wait.
Posted by: Paul | April 2, 2007 12:29 PM