Bizarre Ocean Anomalies: When Deep-Sea Creatures Take Shore Leave

World oceans, covering over 70% of the world's surface, are one of the most unexplored and mysterious frontiers on Earth. Sightings of unusual oceanic phenomena started making headlines globally in the past two years. Oarfish, a deep-sea fish, mass strandings of whales, and anglerfish in shallow seas are being witnessed more frequently. The occurrence is giving rise to heated debate among scientists regarding possible environmental changes due to global warming and other human-induced causes.

Baffling Oarfish: The Ocean's Hidden Giants

Oarfish are some of the longest bony fish in the world—long, ribbon-shaped fish measuring more than 10 meters (33 feet) long. Typically dwelling in the dark depths of the ocean, oarfish rarely see man. Oarfish have also been referred to as the "doomsday fish" in mythology, and legends have accompanied them with forecasts of earthquakes or other disasters.

Sightings of more oarfish have been seen along the coastlines in recent times. Although these sightings would seem to be extraterrestrial signals, scientists suggest that they are indicative of environmental disturbances. Changes in ocean temperatures, ocean currents, or seismic activities might be upsetting the habitat of oarfish in deep oceans and causing them to surface. Although no result is available as yet, these enigmatic sightings have raised curiosity about discovering ways in which the outside world may be influencing existence at the depths of the ocean.

Mass Whale Strandings: When Giants Run Aground

Whales, those marvellous sea giants, are renowned for their graceful migrations between the gigantic ocean basins. But in the past few decades, to our distress, there have been instances of wholesale whale strandings. In these incidents, large numbers of whales—even pods—are stranded and pulled ashore.

While whale strandings have been taking place since whales came into existence, their increased frequency makes them pertinent. Scientists give a variety of reasons why such incidents are occurring. One is that shifted ocean currents, precipitated by speeding global warming, may be interfering with the whales' navigationalsignals. Temperature and salinity changes will impact the magnetic fields employed by most sea animals for navigation. Human activities such as the sonar use of warships also interfere with whales' echolocation, leaving them even more lost.

Anglerfish in Shallow Waters: A Deep-Sea Predator's Unusual Journey

Anglerfish are most well-known perhaps for their ghoulish appearance and bizarre method of predation. They dwell in the depths of the abyssal sea, and anglerfish have a bioluminescent lure—a curved dorsal spine—so naive prey are drawn to them in the total darkness of deep-sea waters. Their capacity to exist in such extreme depths makes their occurrence in shallow waters extremely uncommon.

There have been sightings recently of anglerfish showing up at places outside their normal deep-sea environment. Such occurrences, according to scientists, are likely to be manifestations of environmental stressors forcing the animals into shallow, temperate waters. A possibility is that warming of the oceans due to climate change may be changing the vertical structure of water masses and, in the process, forcing deep-sea animals to the surface. Or, variations in the prey base can lure anglerfish into new environments for feeding.

Environmental Factors Behind the Anomalies

The sudden emergence of deep-sea animals can be an indication of other changes in the environment that are taking place. Various interrelated factors can be responsible for these anomalies:

Global Warming and Ocean Temperature Changes

Global warming is also among the most powerful drivers of change for the Earth's climatic system. With rising concentrations of greenhouse gases, oceans are accumulating enormous quantities of excess heat. Increased ocean temperature can affect the stratification of water layers and upset established ocean flows. These changes can push deep-sea animals such as oarfish and anglerfish out of their traditional habitats as they move to seek more comfortable conditions.

Changing of Ocean Currents and Circulation

Ocean currents disperse warmth and nutrients around the ocean. Any change to these currents, natural or climate change, would be catastrophic to marine life. Changing currents can cause rare sea creature migrations