'Water boogers' invade Michigan lake

SPRING LAKE, Mich. (WOOD) - They're affectionately called "water boogers," but some lake residents wondered what the smelly, jelly-like, brain-looking creature really is.

Grand Valley State University researchers said they're fresh water bryozoans . Typically found in salt water, they can -- and, obviously, do -- find their way into inland waterways like Spring Lake.

Bryozoans are animals, though they don't have a backbone.

Dan Callan of Fruitport said he noticed the creatures recently attached to rocks, his dock and the lake wall. Callan said they're kind of cool, kind of gross, but "they just kind of smell."

GVSU researchers said they're completely harmless.