Indicator?

  

I took these photos about a week ago, but wanted to share them since this is a species often associated with warmer water conditions.  

This is the nectophore (swimming bell) of Diphyes dispar, a siphonophore.  We recorded >50 individuals on Salmon Creek Beach on 1 January 2024.

The last time we observed this species was during the 2014-2016 marine heatwaves.  Recent water temperatures have been warmer than average for this time of year, hovering ~13-14°C (56-57°F), perhaps connected to this winter's El Niño.

Here's another photo with a ruler for scale:

 

 

I introduced Diphyes back in 2014, so for information about them, check out the post called "From the south" on 26 October 2014.