Jellyfish Blooms: Natural Cycle Or Increasing Trend
by Valeria Hester
While scientists and other observers may disagree on cause and outcome, certain facts are indisputable. Jellyfish blooms are on the rise. It is a given that jellyfish thrive in increasingly warmer waters and are unaffected by pollution. We also know that their natural predators have been dramatically reduced as a consequence of over fishing. These factors have resulted in exploding populations of all types of jellyfish in recent years in all regions of our earth. While the most tangible effect has been on tourism in resort areas and the resulting danger to swimmers, it might be more helpful to view this phenomenon as a clear indicator that the ocean ecosystem they live in is seriously out of balance. The implications of these blooms extend to clogged power plants, destruction of fish farms and interference with fishing nets.
Scientists Try To Determine The Cause For These Blooms
Disagreement arises as to whether this is a result of man made global warming and an irreversible jellyfish takeover, or whether this is a natural occurrence that will reverse of its own accord. There is scientific evidence of a natural 20 year cycle, one of which seems to have begun inthe 1990’s. The quest to resolving these answers is hampered by the fact that without skeletons or shells we are without tangible clues to study jellyfish. In addition, jellyfish are generally not a primary focus of research. As has been observed, for example in the Black Sea, which aggregates the sewage and industrial waste of 22 countries, that there has been a take over by the comb jellyfish to the tune of I billion tons, or 10 times the weight of the annual fish catch of the entire world.
What Can Be Done?
As pressure is mounting for a solution to the problem, many creative options have been suggested. One solution currently being utilized in South Korea is robots that chop up jellyfish in order to protect power plants. Since few species are palatable to humans, they are not viable as a food source. Clearly, more research is indicated to understand the movements, habits and predators of all types of jellyfish. Continuing to be proactive stewards of our environment may be a vital component of any potential solution.