Scientists are starting to see jellyfish as a symptom of a sick ocean. More and larger jellyfish blooms are crippling fisheries that are already struggling. They are closing beaches and stinging bathers. But they are also moving toward the poles as the world’s oceans warm.
New research shows the threat to fishing, the monoculture of jellyfish and how the gelatinous critters can be used to gauge overall ocean health.
The crew of Ocean Watch, a 64-foot sailboat on a trip around the Americas is conducting a 13-month jellyfish survey to help fill in some of the scientific gaps in our jellyfish knowledge. They will collect samples–trying not to get stung in the process–and take pictures and video of the colonies they encounter as they hug the coasts of North and South America.
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