This sea creature does more to fight global warming than most of us

The planet has its own way of healing from all the damage done to it by humans. Reports suggest that a creature called Salp, found in the oceans is helping fight global warming and climate change in the most natural way possible.

Global warming is one issue that the world is fighting together. From protests and bringing active changes in life, there is a lot that the people around the world are doing to stop it. While people do their part, there are some creatures who are doing their bit as well. One of the ocean's creatures is helping in fighting global warming. These transparent jelly-fish like, barrel-shaped sea creatures are called Salps. They swallow carbon and deposit it at the bottom of the seabed.

Scientists believe that these barrel-shaped creatures are a solution in reducing the earth's carbon overdose that is the main cause of global warming. These creatures are acting as the earth's immune system trying to save itself in its own way. They multiply in large numbers and can swallow tonnes of carbon every day.

Salps unlike other organisms that consume phytoplankton and release carbon into the atmosphere, deposit carbon at the bottom of the sea in the form of ‘fecal pellets’. This many scientists believe is the earth's natural way of fighting against climate change and Global warming.

My illustration for a story by @RosannaXia about this fantastical sea creature that helps to remove planet-warming gases from the atmosphere. Please support our journalism by subscribing! https://t.co/Phju1srFTL pic.twitter.com/AJcBoMcXX7

— Paul Duginski (@CartoonKahuna) June 7, 2020

This World Oceans Day, meet one of the deep-sea creatures helping remove carbon dioxide from the water



The giant larvacean surrounds itself in a balloon of mucus, trapping carbon-rich particles in their place. https://t.co/AmyVhbePEk

— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) June 8, 2020

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Posted @withrepost • @anupjkat SALPS. THE MOST INTERESTING THING I HAVE SEEN IN THE OCEAN. Salps have a complex life cycle, with an obligatory alternation of generations. Both portions of the life cycle exist together in the seas—they look quite different, but both are mostly transparent, tubular, gelatinous animals that are typically between 1 and 10 cm (0.39 and 3.94 in) tall. The solitary life history phase, also known as an oozooid, is a single, barrel-shaped animal that reproduces asexually by producing a chain of tens to hundreds of individuals, which are released from the parent at a small size. The chain of salps is the 'aggregate' portion of the life cycle. The aggregate individuals are also known as blastozooids; they remain attached together while swimming and feeding, and each individual grows in size. Each blastozooid in the chain reproduces sexually (the blastozooids are sequential hermaphrodites, first maturing as females, and are fertilized by male gametes produced by older chains), with a growing embryo oozoid attached to the body wall of the parent. The growing oozoids are eventually released from the parent blastozooids, and then continue to feed and grow as the solitary asexual phase, thus closing the life cycle of salps. #salps #wonderfulocean @paditv @paditravel @oneoceanonelove @oceanloversclub @oceanconservancy @oceanramsey #ocean #scubadiving #travelholic #travelgram #maldives

A post shared by Nature inFocus (@naturein_focus) on Jun 4, 2019 at 8:16pm PDT

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A colony of salps _ _ _ #salps #colony #wide #underwaterphotography #underwater #scubadiving #diving #scuba #ocean #photography #padi #nature #uwphotography #marinelife #dive #underwaterphoto #underwaterworld #sea #sealife #underwaterlife #scubadive #scubadiver #uwphoto #diver #photooftheday #coralreef

A post shared by Dino Selma (@dindinselma) on Apr 30, 2020 at 5:26pm PDT

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We have been finding chains of Salps, gelatinous filter feeding animals, in and around Toyon. These transparent gliders are eerie to see drifting through the water. They easily get much longer than the length of these instructors. Who would want to swim, snorkel, or dive with these ghost chains? #catalinaseacamp #salps #jelly

A post shared by Catalina Sea Camp @ CIMI (@catalinaseacamp) on Mar 27, 2018 at 9:00am PDT

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JELLYFISH! no, wait, a salp! Commonly mistaken for jellyfish, salps are in fact quite different! Salps are barrel shaped planktic tunicates that move by propelling water through their bodies. Not only is this propulsion system one of the most efficient in the animal kingdom it also allows them to feed at the same time via filter feeding... Genius! These little guys spend part of their life social distancing and living solitary (very appropriate) and other parts of their life living in giant chains linked to many other salps. When linked together each salp still swims independently, allowing long journeys to happen more efficiently, unless they are threatened or caught in a big wave/current at which point they are seen to synchronise their strokes allowing them to speed to safety. They are so abundant in the ocean that changes in their distribution is believed to alter the oceans carbon cycle and even contribute to climate change itself. . Fun fact of the day: Although they strongly resemble jellyfish, salps are more closely related to humans, amazing! . Credit: @joemasters . #salps #salp #oceanlife #ocean #jellyfish #underwater #science #facts #animals #marine #marinelife #marinebiology #photography #underwaterphotography #socialdistancing #socialdistancingsalps #biodiversity #aquatic #aquaticanimals #nature #naturephotography

A post shared by Sophie (@sciencebysoph) on May 23, 2020 at 11:34am PDT

Also Read: Take a look at the various endangered ocean animals at the risk of becoming extinct

Image source: Reddit