Halloween is just a day away and while there are bound to be plenty of spooky ghosts and goblins roaming the streets and searching out candy, some seriously scary real-life “monsters” are among us and they’ve been created (or encouraged) by global warming and pollution. Here are five reminders that things could get really scary (peak oil scary even!) if we don’t make an effort to improve things for the environment.

1. Giant Jellyfish

Seas full of enormous toxic jellyfish sound like something out of a bad scary movie, but due to overfishing the scary swarms are a reality in several parts of the world. With their natural predators fished out of commission and global warming linked to increasing jellyfish populations, these giant jellyfish (some of which can be deadly to both fish and humans) are a very valid threat and one that’s worth switching to sustainable seafood to avoid.

2. Two Headed Fish

They’re not quite the deadly sea creatures that were chasing down human meals in the movie Piranha, but two-headed fish and fish larvae are becoming more common and while there are a few things linked to the problem (including genetic mutation) many scientists feel pollution plays a huge role, with now-famous two-headed fish showing up in an Alberta lake near an oil sands operation and schools of two-headed fish larvae appearing in Australian waters near a pesticide-heavy macadamia plant.

3. Deadly Bugs

Almost nothing is scary than a pandemic, but while many health issues have been associated with pollution (especially in the form of pesticides and parabens), we don’t tend to think of global warming as a disease culprit. However, some deadly diseases, including dengue fever and malaria, have been linked to warming temperatures. That’s because warmer temperatures mean an increase in mosquitoes (with cooler temperatures keeping down mosquito populations in turn). In fact, researchers are now saying that even a seemingly small increase in temperatures can mean a 10-fold increase in the mosquito population—and that means more disease.

4. Killer Sharks

Before you start trying to figure out how climate change causes sharks, let’s get more specific; no, warming temperatures haven’t been linked to increasing shark populations (the shark population is actually dwindling in many areas), rather, global warming may be the cause of some shark attacks. As sharks feel changing sea temperatures some will navigate to new waters, and scientists believe that may mean sharks attacking in places they’ve never attacked before. Like the jellyfish, overfishing could also play a role in increased shark attacks, with sharks running out of their usual food sources.

5. The Blob

Eerily reminiscent of the sticky mess from The Blob movie, sea “mucus” blobs are just what they sound like: Giant sheets of mucus-like material that collect in the Mediterranean Sea (and are expanding to other areas). Comprised initially of microscopic dead and living organic matter and eventually of small creatures, these blobs can be dangerous to humans and deadly to fish because of the bacteria and viruses they can harbor. The “mucus” from these blobs can also coat fish gills and suffocate fish (and coat human swimmers in a less deadly—but equally disgusting—way). Warmers water temperatures due to climate change have led to more blobs, longer-lasting blobs, and blobs in more places around the planet.

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