This summer, beachgoers across Rhode Island noticed something a little different in the water: tiny gelatinous blobs – smaller than a marble – floating in the waves and washing up onshore. Salps in chains can swim in tandem, and some chains can be found creating spiral patterns in the water column. The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management said that August’s Hurricane Erin and strong southerly winds might be the cause of this summer’s salp visits. “They don’t do well in shore, because there’s just too much stuff in the water,” Colin said. Many Rhode Island beaches appeared to be salp-free at the end of August.