Monday, September 4, 2017

Bizarre Blob Found in BC Lagoon


An odd-looking blob creature was recently discovered living in a lagoon at a park in British Columbia.
The gelatinous oddity was spotted in shallow water at an area of Vancouver's Stanley Park appropriately known as the 'Lost Lagoon.'
An examination by an ecologist identified the strange blob as a bryozoan, which is a collection of tiny microorganisms which join together to form the gooey orb as a form of protection against predators.
Although residents living nearby may rest easy knowing that the blob is not an interstellar species planning a takeover of Canada, the bryozoan may actually represent an invader, of sorts.
That's because this type of fresh water bryozoan has only been seen in one other part of British Columbia before and never in the aquatic ecosystem of Stanley Park.
Scientists suggest that warming temperatures in the region have made it more hospitable to the blobs, which led them to seemingly spread into the area.
Experts did not express much concern that they will have much impact on the wildlife at the park, since the blobs have probably been there for a while and were only just noticed for the first time recently.
Nonetheless, should the creatures wind up wreaking havoc on Stanley Park, at least they've got a perfect title for a film about it: 'Creature from the Lost Lagoon.'