It’s common knowledge that due to human-made climate change, sea levels are rising. It’s a frightening prospect, which will likely lead to a lot of problems, including, apparently, a whole lot of sea life taking refuge in our sewer systems. If this sounds far-fetched, take a look at these recent photos posted by Miami resident Richard Conlin: They’re of an octopus that found its way into his parking garage, most likely from the drainage pipes below it.
The story of the octopus in the garage—which could/should(?) be a children’s book—comes via National Geographic. In the National Geographic article, the author notes that although the “king tide” (a colloquial term for especially high tides) was enhanced by this year’s supermoon, this is still one of “many issues the Miami area has faced as a result of rising sea levels.”
Genuinely frightening consequences of rising tides aside—which include underground saltwater potentially threatening the fresh water supply for 6 million Florida residents—sea creatures invading our sewage and drainage systems is still pretty scary. Hermes from Futurama illustrates one possible nightmare scenario perfectly:
Futurama gif curtesy of the Morbotron.
If you’re concerned with the health of the octopus found in Conlin’s garage (maybe you were hoping that it’d make an Inky-like escape), you can rest easy; the octopus was placed in a bucket by building security and returned to the ocean. Hopefully the next time it comes back, Miami will have new systems in place to combat the spread of sea life in their underground pipes. (Although changes to the sewer system will have to be cleared with any mutants who live down there, of course.)
What do you think about this octopus finding its way into a Miami garage? Are you worried about encountering some kind of tentacle the next time you find yourself on the porcelain throne? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Featured Image: Flickr / damn_unique
