Scientists learn how tiny critters make ocean ‘snot palaces’

MONTEREY, Calif. (KION and AP) Scientists are learning about one of the weirder things in the oceans: “snot palaces.”

The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute said the video it released showing the structure of the giant larvacean's mucus house is a first-of-its-kind 3D reconstruction.

A study Wednesday in the journal Nature details these complex structures made of mucus that could be three feet wide. They are made by critters that look like tadpoles and are only 4 inches long. The mucus comes out of the critter's head, then blows up like a balloon into a full structure. And they do this every day. It's like building a new five-story house for a person.

Scientists used a remote submarine, cameras and a laser to track the mucus home construction by the giant larvaceans.

MBARI said researchers have been interested in how the larvaceans filter particles while processing large volumes of water for a long time. It said previous studies have looked at their filters in a lab, but this is the first study that provides data about the mucus structures in the open ocean.

“Now we have a technique for understanding the form of these complex structures, and how they function,” said MBARI Principal Engineer Kakani Katija. “No one has done in situ 3D reconstructions of mucous forms like this before. Among other things, we’re hoping to understand how larvaceans build and inflate these structures. This could help us design better 3D printers or build complex inflatable structures that could be used in a number of environments.”

Read more about the study here.