Stinging Tentacles Offer Hint of Oceans Decline

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Stinging Tentacles Offer Hint of Oceans Decline

• Justine Shepherd

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Problem

• Jellyfish are becoming more numerous and
  widespread
• Problem areas include Australia, the Gulf of
  Mexico, Hawaii, the Black Sea, Namibia, Britain,
  the Mediterranean, the Sea of Japan and the
  Yangtze estuary.
• Within the past year, there have been beach
  closings on the Côte dAzur in France, the Great
  Barrier Reef of Australia, and at Waikiki in the
  United States

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Jellyfish Swarms

• Jellyfish grow quickly and are easily adaptable-
  cockroach of the ocean
• Huge swarms have occurred without environmental
  damage from people
• Jellyfish swarm where conditions favor their
  survival
• Swarms of 38,600 sq miles have been observed

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Why so many jellyfish?

• Warmer seas and drier climates increases rates of
  reproduction
• Reduced rainfall because of global warming
  decreases salinity of coastal waters
• Dead zones have increased- jellyfish can thrive
  in these areas

• Introduction of jellyfish to non-native habitats
  by ships
• Over-fishing of jellyfish predators, like tuna,
  sharks and swordfish
• Stressed ecosystems

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Impacts

• Economic
• -discourages tourism, clogs fishing nets, hurts
  industrial operations
• Environmental
• -eat large volume of fish eggs and larvae,
  hurting fish populations abilities to rebound
• -indicator of overall decline of oceans health

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Resources

• http//www.nytimes.com/2008/08/03/science/earth/03
  jellyfish.html
• http//www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/jellyfish/
  textonly/index.jsp
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?veyCigZ_bsTM