Sand hills resembling miniature volcanoes have appeared along the shores of Texas Gulf Coast beaches, and staff members explain that the hills serve a vital purpose in the ocean ecosystem.
Staff at Quintana Beach County Park, located about 70 miles south of Houston, shared images of the small piles of sand containing a hole at the top on Sunday morning, explaining the purpose of the strange hills.
Staff said the mini volcanoes appeared due to “the extremely low tide this morning” and were created by ghost shrimp.
“We are experiencing an extremely low tide this morning and the ghost shrimp are creating mini volcanoes all over the beach,” staff wrote.
According to Quintana Beach County Park staff, the small crustaceans are most often seen at the water’s edge, burrowing into seafloor sediments and collecting pieces of food.
They are 3 to 4 inches long and can dig burrows 4 feet deep.
Quintana Beach County park staff said the mini volcanoes were created by ghost shrimp. Quintana Beach County Park / Facebook, Fishing in Corpus Christi
Beach staff said shrimp play an important part of the intertidal ecosystem because they “bring oxygen to the sand.”
“They are an important part of intertidal ecosystems, because they bring oxygen to the sand as they burrow, which helps organic matter decompose, enriching the sediment and ultimately providing food for more creatures,” said the staff.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn