Tar balls seen along Brevard County's beaches

Tar balls are washing up on Brevard County's beaches, but no one knows where they are coming from.

The Coast Guard says the tar balls have been popping up intermittently between Southern Cocoa Beach and Melbourne Beach.

Private contractors working with the FL Dept. of Environmental Protection say they've recovered about 50 pounds of substance so far.

The Coast Guard says the tar balls are glossy black with a jelly-like texture. Most are pancake-shaped, and range from a quarter of an inch in size to four inches.

The Coast Guard is analyzing the tar balls to try and figure out where they come from. There are no reported oil spills in the area.

The Coast Guard is asking beach goers that if they see a tar ball, leave it alone and call National Response Center at 1-800-424-8802.