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Second Giant Sea Creature Washes Ashore Along Santa Monica Coastline - Alarms Sound Over Radioactive Gigantism
Giant Squid Discovered On California Coast And Scientists Suspect Radioactive Gigantism
For the second time in recent months, a giant sea creature has washed ashore in California. First it was a rare oarfish that had grown to a freakish 100-foot length. This time it was a giant squid measuring a whopping 160 feet from head to tentacle tip.
These giants look different but experts believe they share one important commonality: they both come from the waters near the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant in the Futaba District of Japan.
Scientists believe that following the 2011 disaster at the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant an unknown number of sea creatures suffered genetic mutations that triggered uncontrolled growth – or “radioactive gigantism.”
Imagine a tuna fish that could feed a city the size of Austin, Texas.”
Unfortunately, this cadre of mutant giants seems to be drifting towards the continental U.S. Local officials in Santa Monica, CA – where the creature drifted ashore – tried to calm residents. “This creature appears to be deceased and even if alive only thrives in water,” said Santa Monica Parks Manager Cynthia Beard. “We intend to move the creature in pieces to Scripps Research Institute so that they can study it,” she noted.
Although not yet well understood, radioactive gigantism is said to result when radiation causes changes to the growth regulating portions of the DNA of affected organisms. When growth regulators fail to control cellular growth, an organism may reach many times its regular body size.
Local radioactive gigantism expert Santa Marino College biology professor Martin L. Grimm, PhD said that the nuclear disaster may have had some unintended benefits. “These creatures give us the chance to study radioactive gigantism,” he said. Grimm believes that harnessing radioactive gigantism may be like harnessing the atom to create atomic energy. “Imagine a tuna fish that could feed a city the size of Austin, Texas,” he said. “This is the possibility of radioactive gigantism.”
Take Jaws but make him the size of a Manhattan skyscraper.”
Others find the giant sea creatures to be a potential safety concern. Even before the giant squid washed ashore, the U.S. Coast Guard had issued a “blue alert” for residents in central and southern Californian coasts “to remain watchful.” Yesterday Admiral Sandy Duncan-Roberts said that she would need to raise the awareness level to a “yellow alert” which asks resident to “exercise caution” along the shoreline.
Are giant sea creatures really a threat for those on land? “Take Jaws but make him the size of a Manhattan skyscraper,” said Bruce Kenner, a marine biologist at UC San Diego. Kenner thinks that gigantism might distort sea creatures' navigational systems. “If that guy took a wrong turn onto the coastline he could level 40 city blocks thrashing before he comes to rest,” he said.
Residents are anxious now that a second creature has surfaced. “Before we only worried about parking when we went to the beach,” said Marquise Griffon. “Now we have to worry about Godzilla [stuff] coming after us.”
If any residents spot an unusually sized sea creature, they should call the U.S. Coast Guard hotline at 1-800-BIG-FISH (or 1-800-244-3474).
Giant Oar Fish Linked To Fukushima Disaster Found In California; Coast Guard Issues Alert
Nearly two years after a powerful earthquake triggered a leak at Japan's Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Plant, the effects of that disaster finally reached the other side of the planet – and in a big way.
On Friday, people strolling on the beach in Santa Monica discovered what might be the largest modern fish ever to roam the seas washed up on the shore. Dubbed “Godzilla Fish” by the media, the 95-foot colossus started its life as a rare oarfish. Scientists believe that following the 2011 disaster at the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant in the Futaba District of Japan, the oarfish suffered genetic mutations that triggered uncontrolled growth – or “radioactive gigantism.”
Sometimes science fiction borrows from reality, and now we are seeing 1960s science fiction come to life.”
For perspective on how unusual the historic find is, the previous largest oarfish ever discovered was only 19-feet long.
“We are confident that this fish comes from the Fukushima Dai-ichi region,” said Susan Cleary-Kohen of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “We can tell from the radioactive Cesium present in its tissue. We also have strong cause to believe that the nuclear event in Japan triggered radioactive gigantism in this particular specimen,” she said.
The discovery of the so-called Godzilla fish follows the finding of unusually large starfish, shrimp and other sea life in both Hawaii and Guam. Scientists suspected a relationship to the Fukushima disaster, but were unsure. Now there seems no doubt after the detection of radioactive Cesium.
“Sometimes science fiction borrows from reality, and now we are seeing 1960s science fiction come to life,” said Santa Marino College biology professor Martin L. Grimm, PhD.
Although not yet well understood, radioactive gigantism is believed to result when radiation damages the growth regulating portions of the DNA of affected organisms. When growth regulators fail to hault cellular growth, an organism may reach many times its regular body size.
Following the 2011 Japanese Tsunami and nuclear spill, scientists feared that ocean life would suffer. Few considered radioactive gigantism as a possibility, however, and none believed that it would strike more complex vertebrates. “We always thought that radioactive gigantism was limited to less complex creatures,” added Grimm. Now scientists realize they were wrong.
In response to the discovery, the U.S. Coast Guard has issued a “blue alert” for residents in central and southern Californian coasts. A blue alert calls for citizens to “remain watchful.” Admiral Sandy Duncan-Roberts said that while there was nothing to be alarmed about, residents should “keep their eyes peeled” while visiting the beach or coastline.
If any residents spot an unusually sized sea creature, they should call the U.S. Coast Guard hotline at 1-800-BIG-FISH (or 1-800-244-3474).
Scripps Research Institute has taken possession of the giant creature for further study.
Giant Squid Discovered On California Coast And Scientists Suspect Radioactive Gigantism
For the second time in recent months, a giant sea creature has washed ashore in California. First it was a rare oarfish that had grown to a freakish 100-foot length. This time it was a giant squid measuring a whopping 160 feet from head to tentacle tip.
These giants look different but experts believe they share one important commonality: they both come from the waters near the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant in the Futaba District of Japan.
Scientists believe that following the 2011 disaster at the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant an unknown number of sea creatures suffered genetic mutations that triggered uncontrolled growth – or “radioactive gigantism.”
Imagine a tuna fish that could feed a city the size of Austin, Texas.”
Unfortunately, this cadre of mutant giants seems to be drifting towards the continental U.S. Local officials in Santa Monica, CA – where the creature drifted ashore – tried to calm residents. “This creature appears to be deceased and even if alive only thrives in water,” said Santa Monica Parks Manager Cynthia Beard. “We intend to move the creature in pieces to Scripps Research Institute so that they can study it,” she noted.
Although not yet well understood, radioactive gigantism is said to result when radiation causes changes to the growth regulating portions of the DNA of affected organisms. When growth regulators fail to control cellular growth, an organism may reach many times its regular body size.
Local radioactive gigantism expert Santa Marino College biology professor Martin L. Grimm, PhD said that the nuclear disaster may have had some unintended benefits. “These creatures give us the chance to study radioactive gigantism,” he said. Grimm believes that harnessing radioactive gigantism may be like harnessing the atom to create atomic energy. “Imagine a tuna fish that could feed a city the size of Austin, Texas,” he said. “This is the possibility of radioactive gigantism.”
Take Jaws but make him the size of a Manhattan skyscraper.”
Others find the giant sea creatures to be a potential safety concern. Even before the giant squid washed ashore, the U.S. Coast Guard had issued a “blue alert” for residents in central and southern Californian coasts “to remain watchful.” Yesterday Admiral Sandy Duncan-Roberts said that she would need to raise the awareness level to a “yellow alert” which asks resident to “exercise caution” along the shoreline.
Are giant sea creatures really a threat for those on land? “Take Jaws but make him the size of a Manhattan skyscraper,” said Bruce Kenner, a marine biologist at UC San Diego. Kenner thinks that gigantism might distort sea creatures' navigational systems. “If that guy took a wrong turn onto the coastline he could level 40 city blocks thrashing before he comes to rest,” he said.
Residents are anxious now that a second creature has surfaced. “Before we only worried about parking when we went to the beach,” said Marquise Griffon. “Now we have to worry about Godzilla [stuff] coming after us.”
If any residents spot an unusually sized sea creature, they should call the U.S. Coast Guard hotline at 1-800-BIG-FISH (or 1-800-244-3474).
Giant Oar Fish Linked To Fukushima Disaster Found In California; Coast Guard Issues Alert
Nearly two years after a powerful earthquake triggered a leak at Japan's Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Plant, the effects of that disaster finally reached the other side of the planet – and in a big way.
On Friday, people strolling on the beach in Santa Monica discovered what might be the largest modern fish ever to roam the seas washed up on the shore. Dubbed “Godzilla Fish” by the media, the 95-foot colossus started its life as a rare oarfish. Scientists believe that following the 2011 disaster at the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant in the Futaba District of Japan, the oarfish suffered genetic mutations that triggered uncontrolled growth – or “radioactive gigantism.”
Sometimes science fiction borrows from reality, and now we are seeing 1960s science fiction come to life.”
For perspective on how unusual the historic find is, the previous largest oarfish ever discovered was only 19-feet long.
“We are confident that this fish comes from the Fukushima Dai-ichi region,” said Susan Cleary-Kohen of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “We can tell from the radioactive Cesium present in its tissue. We also have strong cause to believe that the nuclear event in Japan triggered radioactive gigantism in this particular specimen,” she said.
The discovery of the so-called Godzilla fish follows the finding of unusually large starfish, shrimp and other sea life in both Hawaii and Guam. Scientists suspected a relationship to the Fukushima disaster, but were unsure. Now there seems no doubt after the detection of radioactive Cesium.
“Sometimes science fiction borrows from reality, and now we are seeing 1960s science fiction come to life,” said Santa Marino College biology professor Martin L. Grimm, PhD.
Although not yet well understood, radioactive gigantism is believed to result when radiation damages the growth regulating portions of the DNA of affected organisms. When growth regulators fail to hault cellular growth, an organism may reach many times its regular body size.
Following the 2011 Japanese Tsunami and nuclear spill, scientists feared that ocean life would suffer. Few considered radioactive gigantism as a possibility, however, and none believed that it would strike more complex vertebrates. “We always thought that radioactive gigantism was limited to less complex creatures,” added Grimm. Now scientists realize they were wrong.
In response to the discovery, the U.S. Coast Guard has issued a “blue alert” for residents in central and southern Californian coasts. A blue alert calls for citizens to “remain watchful.” Admiral Sandy Duncan-Roberts said that while there was nothing to be alarmed about, residents should “keep their eyes peeled” while visiting the beach or coastline.
If any residents spot an unusually sized sea creature, they should call the U.S. Coast Guard hotline at 1-800-BIG-FISH (or 1-800-244-3474).
Scripps Research Institute has taken possession of the giant creature for further study.
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