BEWARE THE GROWING AND STINGING COCKROACH OF THE SEA--THE JELLYFISH
Experts say that it's a sign of ecological destruction. Jellyfish have been turning up in places they once were rarely seen.
A few weeks ago, 300 people on Barcelona's beaches were treated of stings; 11 people were taken to hospital.
Jellyfish problem areas range from Spain to the Gulf of Mexico, Namibia and Sea of Japan. But while jellyfish invasions are a nuisance to tourists and fishermen, for scientists they are a source of profound alarm, a signal of the declining health of the world's oceans.
"These jellyfish near shore are a message the sea is sending us, saying, 'Look how badly you are treating me,'" said Dr. Joseph-Maria Gili, a jellyfish expert.
The explosion of jellyfish populations, scientists say, reflects a combination of factors like severe overfishing of natural predators like tuna, shark and swordfish, and rising sea temperatures caused in part by GLOBAL WARMING.
Jellyfish are the cockroaches of the seas, the ultimate maritime survivors in damaged environments. In the past year, there have been beach closures because of jellyfish swarms on the Cote d'Azur in France, Australia's Great Barrier Reef, and at Waikiki and Virginia Beach in the US. In Australia, more than 30,000 people were treated for stings last year, double the number in 2005. The rare but deadly Irukandji jellyfish is expanding its range in the country's swarming waters.
Officials in Santander and the Basque country were concerned about the frequent sightings this year on the Atlantic coast of the Portuguese man-of-war, a sometimes-lethal warm-water species seldom seen here.
Jellyfish discharge their venom when they bump into something warm, from poison-containing stingers on mantles, arms or long tendrils.
Global warming means warmer seas and drier climates--so jellyfish breed faster--as well as reduced rainfall in temperate zones, allowing the jellyfish to more easily approach beaches.
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I could use a cold yakult now....