According to CBS, Puget Sound may have to contend with a mysterious blob moving through the Pacific Ocean. This blob, initially discovered in 2013, is abnormally warm, and has been observed to heat the waters around it by seven degrees.

This strange blob has a distinctive red color, and can be seen clearly on weather maps moving between Alaska and Mexico. Some scientists blame this blob for increased ocean temperatures and environmental damage.

Unfortunately, this might not be the most extreme effect on the ocean in the region. As summer draws to a close, the potentially catastrophic El Niño looms in the minds of scientists in the region. El Niño could hit populated areas of Washington and cause chaos in the canal systems of Washington, as well as the ecosystem of the region, resulting in bizarre weather patterns that have become all too familiar in recent years.

This confluence of weather and ocean blob has not only affected the surface water, but has led to an increase in deep sea temperatures. These temperatures lead to oxygen-deprived water, which can be responsible for a huge number of deaths of sea creatures, which includes a sharp rise in salmon washing up on shores.