Jellyfish Getting Bigger

Observation: The jellyfish around here have been getting bigger each sighting. We've found this jellyfish today in a size we haven't seen here before. The jellyfish was at least 15-18 inches in length or about a size (11) shoe. Has this started happening anywhere else?

LEO says: A study published in the journal Science in 2011, found that jellyfish are increasing in size and becoming a dominant predator in areas impacted by overfishing and habitat destruction. See article below. Jellyfish are an important indicator of the marine conditions and also a annual topic for observations within LEO. Please see the related observations and map of sightings. We don't have a photo for identification of the species. LEO Network invites members to share observations about jellyfish, including images to assist.

Media:

World environment on NBC NEWS, (2011-09-15) Bigger jellyfish are inheriting the ocean, study finds, "Will jellyfish inherit the Earth, or at least the oceans?" by Miguel Llanos, Source: msnbc.com

Resource:

For more information and opportunities for citizen science see Jellyfish Watch website.

ScienceDaily, (2014-10) Importance of dead jellyfish to deep-sea ecosystems, "Dead jellyfish contribute to the deep-sea food chain, unlike previously thought, innovative experiments show. Researchers deployed lander systems to look at how scavengers responded to jellyfish and fish baits in the deep sea off Norway. The experiments were carried out in areas with jellyfish blooms near the ocean surface and showed that when the creatures fell to the seabed they were rapidly eaten by scavengers." Source: National Oceanography Centre

Maclean's, by Kate Lunau - Attack of the jellyfish, "Scientists debate the 'rise of slime' theory - Jellyfish blooms are nothing new: Condon has studied newspaper reports from the turn of the last century, and the Cambrian period (about 500 million years ago) by studying fossils. Researchers still don’t understand what causes a jellyfish bloom, but he says it must be part of their natural cycle."