Between massive swarms and habitat invasions, jellyfish are changing ecosystems, stinging beachgoers, and causing millions of dollars’ worth of damage. Using high-tech underwater gadgets, scientists are racing to understand one of the most common, mysterious—and destructive—sea creatures
Posted 06.04.2008 at 4:12 pm
17 Comments
Master Shot: Off the coast of California, a diver photographs a black sea nettle (Chrysaora achlyos), which appears orange here because of the camera’s light. Mark Conlin/seapics.com
High-Tech Research
Despite the attention jellyfish have been getting lately, they’re actually one of the seas’ most understudied creatures, in part because they’re just plain hard to handle above water. But developments in manned and unmanned submarines, remotely operated equipment and deep-sea diving are changing that by allowing biologists to observe, mark, capture, and track jellyfish in their underwater element.
Researchers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) in Moss Landing, California, one of the world’s leading jellyfish-research facilities, sometimes trawl for jellies with nets, but only robust specimens can be brought up from the deep sea in this way without damage. Instead, the scientists often tag specimens while snorkeling or diving, and use remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) to bring jellies up from as deep as 13,100 feet. In the past, costly manned submarines have been used, giving the researchers an awesome view of their subjects and their habitat.
To track a jellyfish, MBARI researchers wedge a small sonar sensor, which transmits sound waves, into a genital pit on the underside of the animal. When a “ping” sounds, the scientists know the device has been successfully placed. A type of aquatic microphone called a hydrophone is lowered into the water to receive the sound waves, which allow the scientists to measure the water temperature and depth where the jellies are located.
Kim Reisenbichler, a senior research technician and diving-safety officer at MBARI, uses a special respiration chamber about the size of a bass drum to learn about jellyfish metabolism. An ROV carries the chamber to between 300 and 4,260 feet below the surface. The scientists then locate a specimen using the vehicle’s high-definition camera. Once a jellyfish swims into the chamber, the ROV pilot snaps the door shut and interior sensors register changes in oxygen concentrations in the water around the animal. The breathing patterns help scientists understand their metabolic rates and digestion.
Experts say that a greater understanding of jellyfish basics—including their ideal water temperatures and feeding habits—is necessary to determine with certainty what’s causing the recent massive blooms and to come up with ways to combat the invasions. Preventing the introduction of new invasive species is also important.
The Nature Conservancy and other groups are working to educate governments and the international shipping community about the ill effects of ballast-water dumping and hull-fouling on ecosystems. Emptying out ballast water before approaching the shore (which is already mandated for ships entering the Great Lakes) would reduce the effects of non-native animals like jellyfish. This May, invasive species will be addressed at the United Nations--sponsored Convention on Biological Diversity in Bonn, Germany. Says Jennifer Molnar, a conservationist at the Nature Conservancy, “It will be a great opportunity for the world’s governments to take action on the issue.”
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from Winnipeg, Manitoba
Well lets assume this is creature visually remains identical to its ancestors, and that It probably evolved from one of the more ancient periods of the past, like when some of the first multi-celled organisms manifested.This took part after the cellular advance of plants, which evolved to Flesh Life. Also why the world was a forest, because plants are smart in terms of having the largest genetic mass over the Earth. Mabye the one Plant that is poisonous to this creature or even its predator is exint.
Look to something synthetic and biodegradable to control there population, humanely.
I would agree with Sir DarkFx humane treatment is prefered but this is human kind were talking about here. They were here first but there hurting our prime vacation spots so they must be eliminated... right? Well it seems that environmental changes are causing the planets animals to react... who would have thought that would happen. Woud it be possible to imagine there preditor and or poisonous counterpart has not been found in this astoundingly large ocean?
~Taio~
Dear readers,
Any creature that poots where it eats is a foul creature and must be destroyed at all costs.
Positively,
Boka
Well boka thats a positively inteligent way to think of it but in this case im going to have to ask... did you wash your hands the last time you "pooted".... well in that case get in the line up destruction awaits.
~Taio~
Of course another species will take over. This is the result of reckless overfishing.
I'm sorry I had to sign up and comment just once and this is all I have to say.....NO ONE CARES WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY AT THE END OF THESE ARTICLES, PLEASE REFRAIN FROM PUTTING IN YOUR 2 CENTS BECAUSE I HAVE A NASTY HABIT OF READING THEM THINKING IT WILL BE AN INTELLIGENT VIEWPOINT COVERING WHAT I JUST READ. YOU PARTICULARLY DARKFX YOU ARE THE KING OF THE NERDS, YOU HAVE AN ANSWER TO EVERYTHING SO DO THE WORLD A SERVICE AND FIX ALL OF OUR PROBLEMS. IT'S OBVIOUS YOUR SMART ENOUGH TO DO SO. Please don't respond to this comment in an attempt to defend your own dignity, instead think about what I said and don't, from your computer chair in your one bedroom apartment or parent's basement, indulge in your own sense of egotism and self-worth. Just take a deep breath and try not to say stupid things anymore, better yet keep your comments to yourself unless you really can change the world which I doubt you can because those able to do so don't spend there time commenting on jellyfish articles acting like a know-it-all. Good-bye and good luck trying to bite your tongue from now on.
from Jacksonville, Florida
KND 123
What is wrong with you?! You have other problems that you need to address having nothing to do with the quality of Darkfx's text. Lock yourself in a room with some self help books until you are able to say "I really like myself and have no need to belittle others to stoke my fragile self-esteem"
To paraphrase Morissey "....it's so easy to laugh/ so easy to hate/ it takes strength to be gentle and kind..."
On jellies...strictures on bilge water and trawling will go a long way in correcting the imbalance that has allowed them to flourish.
i agree with dark, they do need to be controlled of. you can agrue that we should kill them for our own needs, because of fishing, but if we let this go un touched, we may just have a jellyfish ocean. i mean the temperature is on the rise, people are over fsihing, i mean somthing is going to happen and its easy to see. fish are just going to die form them. maybe we should find a way to fish them and turn them into a food, then there populations will go down and well have food. but also with a control on global warming too other wise its not worth it because it will keep getting hotter and hotter
I both agree and disagree with bits and pieces of all statements previously made.
I used to work in a Marine Lab in Hawaii and I will have to agree that something does need to be done with the differing jellyfish population booms. One of the largest roles that lead to their over-abundance now is because humans have altered the ecological balance of the ocean.
With the devastation we caused on populations such as the leather back and green sea turtles that naturally prey on jellyfish, it's a no-brainer that the jellyfish population would increase just based off of that. Throw in the whales and their decreased numbers into the equation -- both baleen and toothed whales -- and the jellyfish food supply skyrockets as well.
This also doesn't even touch upon what the article included with the inadvertent transport and relocation of non-indigenous jellyfish species and pollution of the oceans causing problems we can only guess at.
Exactly WHAT needs to be done I will not comment on. My only advice is that we understand a little more about this jelly of a predicament before we actually try and do something like introducing non-indigenous jellyfish predators without taking into full consideration the impact it would have on other native species. I do agree that something does need to be done, whether it is to more strictly enforce poaching laws on animals such as sea turtles, and waiting for nature's balance to slowly take over, or to more invasively try and play God by killing off whatever we deem necessary -- something needs to be done to correct our mistakes before it gets worse.
from Dublin, Ohio
(Darkfx) "Well lets assume this is creature visually remains identical to its ancestors, and that It probably evolved from one of the more ancient periods of the past, like when some of the first multi-celled organisms manifested.This took part after the cellular advance of plants, which evolved to Flesh Life. Also why the world was a forest, because plants are smart in terms of having the largest genetic mass over the Earth. Mabye the one Plant that is poisonous to this creature or even its predator is exint."
Sorry but u are wrong. The only plants that were around when jellyfish first came about was algae, there were no land plants. and the idea that a plant turned into a flesh animal is just down right dumb. Don't comment on what you don't know.
sorry again
from Dublin, Ohio
(Darkfx) "Well lets assume this is creature visually remains identical to its ancestors, and that It probably evolved from one of the more ancient periods of the past, like when some of the first multi-celled organisms manifested.This took part after the cellular advance of plants, which evolved to Flesh Life. Also why the world was a forest, because plants are smart in terms of having the largest genetic mass over the Earth. Mabye the one Plant that is poisonous to this creature or even its predator is exint."
Sorry but u are wrong. The only plants that were around when jellyfish first came about was algae, there were no land plants. and the idea that a plant turned into a flesh animal is just down right dumb. Don't comment on what you don't know.
sorry again
Okay me and DarkFX got totally ripped and debated how earth started and then he went on Popsci and commented. It made perfect sense at the time.
from Danielson, CT
Its interesting to see that something we have never had a use for has come to bite us in the @ss. We have over-mined everything we wanted or needed to the point we will one day no longer have it. What will we be left with? Everything that we deem unnecessary or dangerous. What a future to look forward to. I'm sure through the stress of uncertainty we will find a use for it all, but a beautiful prospect nevertheless. As every creature coexisting on this planet, we all deserve what we get. I think we should get special torturous treatment, though.
Hey, Betterfuture4uandme:
The idea that jellyfish are ancient and super-primitive life forms is out of date. According to research conducted in the last decade, jellyfish aren't so simple. Once thought to be pre-Cambrian, they are now held to be part of the explosion (540 million yrs ago).
Ref: NYT, 2005
Wow, that's intense! It reminds me of that one level in Super Mario Bros 3 when all of the jellyfish swarm. I suppose this could actually turn into a pretty big problem, if not dealt with.
- Stacy, (http://www.myfda.org/)
from Winnipeg, Manitoba
Betterfuture4uandme <
Plants Life was Created in Water. Quite Possibly because of Hydrogen and Organic Matter in Clouds, in Space.
In the Ocean after Freshwater perhaps. Plants became aware of land eventually, obviously. Why else is all Cellular with such basic compounds so Similar. Life Communicating with chemical signals plants and humans alike. Let alone the simple fact that all life has to many similar traits to not be related. For instance, Eyes and Skin Mouth, Digestive Tract... Like a Worm.
www.darkfx.cjb.net
Jellyfish are definitely more advanced than we think. They are incredible successful. They should be our masters.
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