Worms have been spotted off at beach in Nassau County.
A woman posted pictures of the worms Thursday with the caption, "worms all over the beach today! what are these things?"
Marine expert and Jacksonville University professor Dr. Quinton White said these creatures are polychaete worms, also known as segmented worms. The worms, according to White, are harmless and come every year.
“You typically don’t see them because they live down in the sediment and that’s not where people look,” White said.
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White said the reason people are seeing them along the beaches is because the worms are reproducing. “The worm produces an egg sac and a sperm sac and they swim to the surface and release them,” said White.
He said the adults usually go back down into the sediment, but most likely are getting washed ashore before they get the chance.
He says they are not harmful to humans, but they may hurt the fishing industry for a bit while they’re reproducing. “The fish aren’t biting. They got all the food that they need and so they’re not going to take the bait,” White said.
Cox Media Group
