Kare11
Necropsy complete on rare oarfish spotted in San Diego ocean
Kayakers and snorkelers in La Jolla Cove ran into the already dead fish on Aug. 10.
SAN DIEGO — Scientists at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography have completed a necropsy on a deep-sea oarfish, which washed up earlier this month, providing a rare look and scientific data, it was announced Thursday.
Kayakers and snorkelers in La Jolla Cove ran into the already dead fish on Aug. 10 — just the 20th of its species documented to have washed up on California beaches since 1901.
The fish was transported to the NOAA Fisheries’ Southwest Fisheries Science Center in La Jolla. On Friday, a team of scientists from UCSD, Cal State Fullerton, and NOAA were able to examine the short-crested oarfish, performing a necropsy, or animal autopsy, to learn more about the organism.
“Rare encounters like this provide an amazing opportunity to learn more about this species and how it lives,” said Ben Frable, ichthyologist and manager of the Marine Vertebrate Collection at Scripps, and part of the necropsy team. “We are fortunate to have a large community of researchers and world-class collection that mobilized quickly to examine and preserve this fish.”
The fish was an adult male, measuring 12.25 feet long, 1.14 feet in depth and weighing in at 74.3 pounds. The fish has a scaleless, long ribbon- like silvery body with dark spots. A long red dorsal fin crest, measuring 2.17 feet in length, extended from the top of the head, according to the necropsy data.
Often described as sea serpents in history, oarfish can grow to lengths of 30 feet and are the longest bony fish in the world. Oarfish have a mythical reputation as predictors of natural disasters and earthquakes.
Scientists do not know why the fish — which looked to be in good condition — washed up where it did, though it is generally thought to have to do with injury, illness and disorientation. Frable said that La Jolla Shores is situated next to two underwater canyons that funnel deep water close to shore.
Samples from the fish will be used for several purposes, including:
— Mapping the first high-quality, chromosome-level genome for the longest bony fish in the world;
— Using stable isotopes and genetic barcoding to better understand foraging ecology, or what the fish is eating and its role in the marine food web;
— Describing the shape and function of the gills and gill rakers — the elements that the fish use to filter their prey from the water — to look at the filtering anatomy and to inform studies of metabolism and feeding strategies; and
— Describing the reproductive status. This male did not have visible signs of milt (sperm) and scientists have previously found that oarfish locally are reproducing in June, but not August or September.
Additionally, researchers will analyze organs, tissues and body fluids for potential presence of contaminants such as microplastics and DDT and compare its digestive system with the other species of oarfish.
“This oarfish presents a rare opportunity to obtain fresh samples for genomic analysis, allowing us to study the evolutionary adaptations that enable this species to thrive in deep-sea environments,” said Dahiana Arcila, marine biologist and curator of the Marine Vertebrate Collection at Scripps. “This finding also significantly contributes to documenting life on our planet, with each specimen providing valuable data to guide conservation efforts and enhance our understanding of marine ecosystems.
“Collections like ours play a crucial role in preserving these specimens for future research, ensuring that we can continue to learn from them for generations to come.”
The fish is undergoing preservation to be added to the Marine Vertebrate Collection at Scripps, one of the largest collections of deep-sea fish in the world.
According to Scripps, given the immense local and global interest, the Birch Aquarium has opened a temporary exhibit with more information on oarfish. The display in the main galleria at Birch Aquarium will include a life- size “gyotaku” art print of the oarfish done by artist Dwight Hwang after the necropsy was completed. Gyotaku is the traditional Japanese method of applying ink to a fish and pressing it onto paper to create art.
If someone finds a unique creature on the beach, they are encouraged to alert the local lifeguards. If in Southern California, members of the public can notify Scripps Institution of Oceanography at scrippsnews@ucsd.edu or 858- 534-3624. Many beaches may be marine protected areas, where taking of organisms is illegal.
WATCH RELATED: Rare ‘sea serpent’ fish found in southern California
Gary Peterson and his friends are collecting donations to help people in their community.
ST. LOUIS PARK, Minn. — A St. Louis Park pumpkin display is raising money for their local food shelf.
Gary Peterson started carving and painting three pumpkins over a decade ago. It’s now grown to over 100.
“I’ve heard people say they’ve come from Hutchinson,” he said.
Peterson along with two of his neighbors have spent the last 14 years growing their display, turning it into a neighborhood event.
“It’s been incredible, I just can’t believe how much this has expanded,” he said. “We did it just because we like to and then people were asking to give us money to cover the cost.”
The trio refused to take people’s money, but then one of them had an idea.
“My neighbor, Steve Leensvaart, just mentioned how about we just do it for the STEP program and the STEP program is our local food shelf in St. Louis Park,” he said.
So, they started to collect donations to help families in need. They’ve raised hundreds of dollars and donated hundreds of pounds of food over the last few years, carving for a cause.
“It is more gratifying every year,” Peterson said.
He estimated they have over 100 unique pumpkins in their yard. They’ve created the displays and come up with new family-friendly concepts for people to enjoy. Peterson said about 30 of their neighbors carved their own pumpkins to be put on display, and it’s been a big hit.
“It’s great. In the last couple of years, it’s turned into more of a neighborhood event,” said Sarah Durch.
“We love this Halloween display, we come every year to see it. We love that the whole community gets involved to craft and carve the pumpkins,” said Jami Gordon-Smith.
“The shading and the details are unbelievable,” said Elizabeth Hanson.
Hanson hopes to take her 2-year-old son trick or treating for the first time but is worried the cold temperatures might keep them indoors.
“We’re going trick or treating hopefully,” she said. “He’s going to be a firefighter, but we’re probably going to have sweatshirts maybe like two pairs of sweatpants underneath. We’re going to be bundled up.”
Gordon-Smith said her family will be out Halloween night no matter the weather.
“Halloween only comes once a year, so you really have to take advantage and enjoy the evening no matter what the weather brings,” she said. “Guess it’s not totally unheard of in Minnesota to have a cold Halloween, but we are going to try and modify and do a lot of layers underneath our costumes and then we might add some hats and maybe some warmer socks.”
Durch also isn’t surprised they’re in for another chilly night.
“Well, what would Halloween be without Minnesota cold? I feel like every time you plan a costume you have to plan for how you can make this work if it’s snowing,” she said.
Peterson said they will have a bonfire and some hot chocolate and cider on Halloween to keep trick-or-treaters warm while they look at their pumpkins.
Click here to learn where you can see the pumpkins and how you can donate.
Jeremy Jourdain was 17 when he was last seen on Halloween 2016.
BEMIDJI, Minn. — The search for Jeremy Jourdain, who was last seen on Halloween in 2016, continues now eight years later.
Jourdain was last seen at a family member’s house in Bemidji, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior Indian Affairs. He left the residence near the 500 block of Wood Avenue after midnight and while people followed him, no one was able to find him.
Jourdain was 17 at the time.
Officials said he was wearing a blue and grey sweatshirt, and blue jeans when last seen. He is Native American and is described as 6 foot 5 and 175 pounds.
If you have any information on his whereabouts, you can contact the Bemidji Police Department at (218) 333-9111. Tips can also be sent to 1-833-560-2065, or you can email ojs_mmu@bia.gov.
The organizations say many Asian Americans are planning to vote despite lack of candidate outreach.
ST PAUL, Minn. — Most people have been contacted in some way shape or form by a campaign in the last few weeks. And if the polls are right and the race for president is a dead heat, every vote will matter.
That’s why this is a head scratcher:
According to a September 2024 voter survey by Asian American Pacific Islander Data, 27% of Asian-American voters said they hadn’t been contacted by either political party trying to get their vote. Last spring, earlier in the voting season, it was even more – 42%.
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are the fastest growing racial or ethnic group nationwide.
Their voter participation levels are growing too, with 60% of eligible Asian-American voters turning out in 2020. And AAPI Data reports as many as 90% of Asian Americans they surveyed said they plan to vote this cycle.
“Candidates are not reaching out to Asian Americans, which is a huge mistake,” said ThaoMee Xiong, executive and networking director of the Coalition of Asian American Leaders.
She says even though there are more than 200,000 eligible Asian voters in Minnesota, the Asian vote is under-appreciated.
“Neither the Democratic or Republican parties have been reaching out in huge numbers,” Xiong said. “They’re sending general mailers to everyone but … they need it in their native language.”
That’s why CAAL is partnering with two more organizations to keep voter turnout high and reach anyone candidates or advocates missed.
Xor Xiong is from Asian American Organizing Project, which focuses on engaging metro-area teens and young adults.
“Many of our communities are still facing barriers to go to vote,” he said. “There’s been more times than I like to admit in terms of when I was having a conversation over the phones of voters being surprised that they can take time off to go and vote, or they can bring the kids to the polling locations, or they can even bring someone to translate for them.”
“In Ramsey County, because of the large Hmong American population there, the polls in Ramsey County are federally required to provide interpreters and translated materials,” ThaoMee added.
Their nonpartisan campaign, Get Out the Vote for Asian Minnesotans, aims to get people registered and well-informed.
“Throughout Covid, there was a lot of anti-hate around the AAPI community and we are still feeling the impact of that to this day,” said Amanda Xiong, a community organizer with a group known as CAPI USA. “Even if folks are afraid to go to the polls, due to that, we try our best to then educate them around absentee ballots, voting early.”
“And so yes, there is a huge increase in terms of voter turnout, but then why is it still 70% feel as though they don’t belong?”
In 2021, the FBI reported a 168% increase in anti-Asian hate crimes.
In Brooklyn Park and Brooklyn Center, the groups knocked on at least 700 doors in one session alone while keeping safety top of mind.
“We make sure that there’s a car following all the door knockers,” ThaoMee said. “We put everyone on text chain … and we are putting a lot of precautionary measures in place for the day of voting.”
After the election, the CAAL plans to conduct surveys and send the results to county election officials. They’ve done this before and say it led to policy changes this year at the legislature including measures to ensure people have easier access to interpreters.
