MARCO ISLAND, Fla. (AP) — A cold front from the Gulf of Mexico and northern Florida has prompted smelly sea squirts to wash ashore and litter Marco Island beaches.
The Naples Daily News (http://bit.ly/1y2Dg4T ) reports the creatures filter water and can remove bacteria and other substances from the Gulf.
The Gulf rarely has high wave action and the water is shallow, so when fronts come across, many animals, shells and debris wash onshore. In this case, waves were rougher and higher than normal due to a three-quarter moon phase.
The sea squirts, which look like soft potatoes, cause a stench when they decompose. But waves and birds are expected to remove the problem in days.
