Swarm Of Jellyfish-Like Creatures At NJ Beaches

New Jersey beaches this summer have new visitors that have invaded the water.

They look like jellyfish, the kind of sea animal that makes people say "ick" and, in some cases, run from the water like they saw a shark. Like jellyfish, you really shouldn't pick them up.

Bathers at many beaches at the Jersey Shore have encountered pockets of small jelly-like creatures called salps. The animals are not jellyfish and have no sting or related effect — other than a slimy texture.

The salps typically from the Gulf Stream by the prevailing ocean breezes that have kept the ocean relatively warm for June and July. They make guest appearances on the Jersey Shore every few summers when the conditions are right — but it's more common for them to arrive in August than in June.

Though at first glance the animals look like dime-sized blobs, they are named for a horn-shaped protrusion on their body.

Christine Thompson, an associate professor of marine science at Stockton University, told nj.com that creatures can’t swim, so they float in the ocean and spend their life filtering it.

Thompson told nj.com that their recent migration can be attributed to windy days and plentiful food. “They typically live out in the open ocean near the gulf stream,” Thompson said, “but this time of year prevailing winds can bring these species closer to shore where they wash up on beaches, or they can bloom in areas with a lot of algae to feed on, which happens this time of year.”

She did advise bathers to exercise caution since they do superficially resemble jellyfish, she told nj.com: “Any gelatinous organism with tentacles should not be picked up."

CBS2 New York caught up with bathers and researchers at the Jersey Shore and discussed the summer invaders: