Mysterious Underwater Circles Off the Coast of Denmark Explained

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Mysterious Underwater Circles Off the Coast of Denmark Explained

Posted by samzenpus on Sunday February 2, 2014 @05:37AM from the round-and-round dept.

sciencehabit writes "The truth behind the mysterious underwater circles that periodically appear off the coast of Denmark has been discovered, and sadly it doesn't involve aliens, fairies, or the fabled lost city of Atlantis. In 2008, a tourist snapped photos of several large dark rings that appeared near the white cliffs of Denmark's island of Møn in the Baltic Sea. The circles, several as large as a tennis courts, sparked numerous theories of their origin—some more outlandish than others. In 2011, when the formations reappeared, scientists discovered they were actually round bands of marine eelgrass, similar to rings of mushrooms known as fairy rings. Because eelgrass usually grows as continuous underwater meadows, scientists were still baffled by the rims of lush eelgrass with barren cores. Now, researchers say they at last know the rings' true cause."

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fairy rings by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-02 05:44 · Score: 1

doesn't involve aliens, fairies, or the fabled lost city of Atlantis
Get your story straight, science.
1. Re:fairy rings by tysonedwards · 2014-02-02 05:47 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  And to complete the summary Copy / Paste:
  
  The scientists found large amounts of toxic sulfide built up in the muds where the eelgrass grows. The sulfide forms when nutrients from agricultural runoff cause bacteria to flourish. Eelgrass grows radially outward, with older plants in the middle and younger seedlings on the outer rim. Because only the middle ring of mature plants can endure the poisonous sulfide, a near-perfect ring of seagrass forms, the researchers report in the February issue of Marine Biology. While the eelgrass circles make for a remarkable sight and a catalyst for kooky conspiracy theories, the researchers say sulfide from agricultural runoff has become a major problem for seagrass ecosystems worldwide.
  
  --
  Thirty four characters live here.
2. Re:fairy rings by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-02 06:58 · Score: 0, Offtopic
  
  If you are a conservative they will. If you are a libertarian they will. If you are a communist they will. If you are a fascist they will. If you're a martian they will.
  If you include a line about how you anticipate that moderators will mod your post down, however...
3. Re:fairy rings by TangoMargarine · 2014-02-03 03:39 · Score: 1
  
  So the "middle ring" is the plants that are old enough to weather the toxin but not yet old enough to die off naturally? Without the natural die-off we'd be talking about a filled-in circle.
  
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  Unity? Screw that: XFCE. Slashdot Beta? Screw that: SoylentNews. Australis? Screw that: Pale Moon. UX developers DIAF
bummer by ToasterTester · 2014-02-02 05:51 · Score: 1

That's sucks I was hoping to go skin diving and see Scully and Mulder.
1. Re:bummer by houstonbofh · 2014-02-02 06:02 · Score: 1
  
  Will this work for you? http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_MBnj...
2. Re:bummer by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-02 06:08 · Score: 0
  
  Worked for me!
3. Re:bummer by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-02 06:09 · Score: 0
  
  Why yes. Yes it will. I'll be in my bunk.
4. Re:bummer by gtall · 2014-02-02 11:11 · Score: 1
  
  I was hoping to see the Greek guy with the electric hair down there looking for aliens. One of these days he'll get abducted and his dreams will come true, kind of. The aliens will alter his memory and from then on he'll claim Jimmy Hoffa and Elvis kidnapped him.
science tabloid by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-02 06:22 · Score: 0

crop circles, sexual mind control, sexually frustrated crustaceans, eleven-thousand-year-old dog tumor, Facebook is a disease, road trip with Rodman, queen of sex, name that smell, bad bug breath, Earth's crust was so drippy, Turing was so gay, this one weird trick during foreplay
No way! How could Science be a tabloid.
Something rotten in the state of Denmark? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-02 06:47 · Score: 1

Now, researchers say they at last know the rings' true cause.
So what is it? And don't ask me to RTFA!
Is it "something rotten"?
1. Re:Something rotten in the state of Denmark? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-02 06:51 · Score: 1
  
  Are "large amounts of toxic sulfide" rotten enough for you?
2. Re:Something rotten in the state of Denmark? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-02 06:58 · Score: 0
  
  Are "large amounts of toxic sulfide" rotten enough for you?
  Yes, I think that would qualify.
3. Re:Something rotten in the state of Denmark? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-02 16:13 · Score: 0
  
  Now, researchers say they at last know the rings' true cause.
  From memory, it was to rule them all, was it not? At least until some hairy footed midget shoved it into the gob of the recently retired pope, and shoved him into a volcano.
Re:WARNING: Goatse re-direct Link! by houstonbofh · 2014-02-02 07:10 · Score: 1

No, it is the old pic of scully in a latex wetsuit. Generally, blogspot is quite good about filtering gaping assholes. (ba-dump bump)
You want mysterious circles in the sea? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-02 07:37 · Score: 0

Punch these coordinates into google maps or Google Earth:
60.62040, -0.9824
and:
60.64248, -0.9917
1. Re:You want mysterious circles in the sea? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-02 07:52 · Score: 0
  
  What is mysterious about a Salmon Farm?
2. Re:You want mysterious circles in the sea? by mellon · 2014-02-02 07:56 · Score: 2
  
  Those aren't very mysterious—they are salmon farms. The Shetland Islands are big on aquaculture in their sheltered lagoons (sea lochs).
Re:WARNING: Goatse re-direct Link! by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-02 07:53 · Score: 0

Fucking troll.... I was so exited to see goatse here.... and its just that sisy wetsuit,
Another good Slashdot story by Okian+Warrior · 2014-02-02 08:04 · Score: 5, Insightful

While the subject matter is not very interesting, this is a another fine example of a good Slashdot story.
Do people come to Slashdot for articles on politics when you can get those anywhere? Also common are "Oh! the humanity!" articles that stoke indignation while leaving the reader no way to help - every news outlet has them.
News such as this, an interesting effect scientifically explained, is Slashdot's distinguishing feature.
Can we have more like this?
1. Re:Another good Slashdot story by SternisheFan · 2014-02-02 08:19 · Score: 1
  
  While I agree that it's an interesting story, it came pre-explained. Personally I prefer the stories about unsolved mysteries which get solved by the /. community. We need a science-y who(what)-dunit here that needs the nerdy types to solve it.
Whale turds by RogueWarrior65 · 2014-02-02 09:10 · Score: 1

Out west where cattle roam around in open country, you can often find these grassy vegetation rings that form after they've taken a dump on that spot.
Am I the only one by lolococo · 2014-02-02 09:46 · Score: 2

who read it first as "Mysterious underwear circles off the coast ..." ?
1. Re:Am I the only one by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-02 12:31 · Score: 0
  
  Crap circles?
Crop circles by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-02 11:05 · Score: 0

" Because eelgrass usually grows as continuous underwater meadows, scientists were still baffled by the rims of lush eelgrass with barren cores."
Underwater crop circles :-)
Like yourself much? by Okian+Warrior · 2014-02-02 11:29 · Score: 1

I come to Slashdot and post stuff because I'm bored and to stroke my pathetic little ego - and when I get moded +5 it really inflates my shitty little self-esteem. Especially since I'm an AC and we're Slashdot niggers here - see, most of you are abusive arrogant pricks who think because you lay down a few lines of code, you're better than everyone else on the planet.
Apropos of nothing, do you like yourself?
I ask because your post appears to be a carefully-crafted insult to the readers of this board.
People who insult tend to base their self-worth on the opinions of others. They wage a constant battle for the little bits of esteem they can get by counting coup on others.
People like that usually have a difficult time saying "I like myself" while believing it at a deep level. There's always someone better to impress, always other people to push down while you make your way to the top. You're never satisfied with yourself until you're the pinnacle of esteem.
How's that working out for you?
If you've got a minute, please answer my original question. I'm honestly curious if you can claim, with deep agreement, that you like yourself.
Uhm. Duh? by lemur666 · 2014-02-02 17:00 · Score: 1

Anyone who has a dog and a lawn could have explained this one.
When our dog takes a crap on the lawn, and it isn't cleaned up promptly, within a week there's a dead spot with a perfect ring of extra healthy grass around it.
Too many 'nutrients' at ground zero kills the grass, but around the edges where it gets diluted the grass grows like crazy.
I'm still going with aliens pooping, though.

--
Corollary to Hanlon's razor: Any significantly advanced stupidity is indistinguishable from malice.
Mysterious underwear?! by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-03 02:01 · Score: 0

Did anybody else misread that headline as "Mysterious Underwear Circles off the coast" etc.? Made my morning.
Pollution should be in the headlines... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-03 08:32 · Score: 0

It's aight. The West pollutes the ocean, the East pollutes the air.
Sounds like a good combination.
can your comment by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-03 11:01 · Score: 0

be moved to 4chan?
Puffer fish by z0idberg · 2014-02-03 11:43 · Score: 1

The title reminded me of a story of another set of mystery underwater circles that was solved recently:
http://www.thisiscolossal.com/...
Re:I come to Slashdot by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-04 05:58 · Score: 0

Thank you! If only this & other such herds came to their senses in regard to the forum crass. Learn, O mediocrity, that social influence can undermine the wisdom of crowd effect: http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2011/05/10/1008636108 (Google doesn't like this paper, obviously).