Things seemed a little fishy last Saturday in San Diego, California. This previous Saturday, a 4.0 earthquake struck the coast of San Diego. Earthquakes are very common in this area, however what happened afterwards was quite bizarre. Minutes after the earthquake had struck, dozens of dazed Humboldt squid were found lining the La Jolla Shore beach. These particular squids were about 4 feet long and weighed nearly 40 pounds.
Many questions were arising after this peculiar squid incident that occurred. Why were these squids washed up on the shore? Did the earthquake cause the squids to become disoriented? Was the pH level after the quake too high for these water bound creatures? Or was simply just a coincidence? The level 4 earthquake that struck may have played a factor with the squids washing up on shore. The earthquake had hit approximately 20 miles from the La Jolla shore. When an earthquake strikes, there is a shift of continental crust which causes a shock wave. These shock waves are what we feel. The shock waves that were produced in this particular earthquake traveled through the ocean and caused harm to some of our sea life. Many fish and sea life have sensors that are able to feel pressure and direction. These sensors are very similar to those contained in the human ear. The Humboldt squid may have experienced damage to their sensors during the earthquake. Humboldt squid generally stay in waters that are 660–2,300 ft, but with the damage caused to their sensors, the squid became extremely disorientated and were unable to navigate correctly, causing them to wash up on shore.
Another possibility for these sea creatures squirming around the La Jolla shore may have been due to the pH level. The gases released from the earthquake could have caused the pH level to increase. Humboldt Squid are very sensitive to pH. They need more oxygen during daylight than any other animal in the sea, according to scientists at University of Rhode Island. Squid now appear to be joining the list of marine creatures that are at risk from rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. As the oceans absorb some of this CO2 load, pH levels drop, and the water becomes more acidic. A test done by Brad Seibel, of the University of Rhode Island, was done to see if pH really did play a factor to squid. He netted 86 jumbo squid in the Gulf of California and placed each squid in different a water-filled container, that varied in temperature, oxygen and CO2 levels. The results showed that when facing high CO2 levels, the creatures became 45% less active.
Another theory is the change in water temperature. The San Diego area has experienced a lot of cold water coming up to the shore. Cold water has been known to bring a lot of nutrients and life, causing the squid to follow the food supply.
In the end there are only theories as to what exactly happened, and exactly how the earthquake affected the squid. What is quite obvious, however, is that we still have quite a bit to learn, and in the end we are equivalent to a nine year old wondering why the tides go in and out. Really, it's quite humbling to realize that we can't even comprehend thoroughly the hardships that a squid endures.
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