Friday, February 12th, 2010

Squid Invasion Off California Coast

This video plays best with Flash

Items on this page work best if you have the current version of Adobe's Flash Player installed. Click on the image to the left to install the player.

In the winter of 2005, Humboldt squid were seen in high abundance in Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary off the northern coast of California. (Credits: Credit: Scot Anderson, NOAA) Viewed 3946 times. See More Videos

In recent years, Humboldt squid have been spotted in increasing numbers off the coast of California. The squid are very adaptable, quite intelligent, and can reach 7 feet long and weigh 100 pounds. Theories for the increase in squid numbers along the coast include reductions in predator populations, as well as the possibility that the squid are following low-oxygen zones in subsurface currents. We'll talk about the invasion of the jumbo squid, and possible causes for the phenomenon.

Guests

William Gilly
Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology and of Marine and Organismal Biology
Hopkins Marine Station
Stanford University
Pacific Grove, California