Most of us have gone down to the beach and noted a jellyfish on the sand or even... worse case scenerio... been stung by one while in the ocean water.
Well... jellyfish could have even more of a widespread impact should waters continue to warm and oceanic pollution continue to increase.
For example... on the Japanese coast... once considered rare, jellyfish swarms are now an almost annual occurrence along several thousand kilometers of coast, and far beyond as well, decimating local fishing industries from the Japan Sea to the Black Sea.
Scientists believe climate change (more specifically the warming of oceans) has allowed some of the almost 2,000 jellyfish species to expand their ranges, appear earlier in the year and increase overall numbers.
The waters of the Yellow Sea have warmed as much as 1.7 degrees C (3 degrees F) over the past quarter-century.
Also... increasingly polluted waters (for example off China) boost growth of the microscopic plankton that jellyfish feed upon. Overfishing has eliminated many of the jellyfish's predators and cut down on competitors for plankton feed.
The National Science Foundation says jellies are forcing the shutdown of seaside power and desalination plants in Japan, the Middle East and Africa. Not to mention what they can do to beachgoers diping into the water.
A 2008 foundation study estimated that people are stung 500,000 times every year (sometimes multiple times) in Chesapeake Bay on the U.S mid atlantic coast. 20 to 40 people die each year in the Philippines from jellyfish stings.
Experts say addressing the surge in jellyfish blooms in most places will require a long term fix such as introducing fishing quotas and pollution controls, as well as capping greenhouse gas emissions to control global warming.
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