What’s Causing California’s Bright Pink Sea Slug Bloom?
By Laura Clark
Tide pools along the coast of central and northern California are filling up with inch-long, pink Hopkins’ rose nudibranch—a sea slug whose vivid coloring gives it a kind of punk rock appeal.
Scientists are logging dozens of the creatures per square meter, says the University of California, Santa Cruz.

"Okenia rosacea (Hopkinsia rosacea) Hopkins Rose (7541139858)" by Jerry Kirkhart from Los Osos, Calif. - Okenia rosacea (Hopkinsia rosacea) Hopkins RoseUploaded by Magnus Manske. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Okenia_rosacea_(Hopkinsia_rosacea)_Hopkins_Rose_(7541139858).jpg#mediaviewer/File:Okenia_rosacea_(Hopkinsia_rosacea)_Hopkins_Rose_(7541139858).jpg