Jellyfish are wreaking havoc around the world in a variety of ways. In some parts of the world, jellyfish are jamming the piping of nuclear facilities. In others, they are killing fish and destroying fishing industries. Around the world, coastal areas are struggling about what to do with these jellyfish swarms.
Although one or two jellyfish may not seem like a problem, swarms of jellyfish are.
According to Lucas Brotz, a researcher at the University of British Columbia, the jellyfish swarms have slowly been increasing since 1950. It’s not just inconvenient; these swarms are costing industries around the world millions of dollars. The global economy could be shaken by the tiny jellyfish.
Jellyfish of all kinds are spreading, even the Box jelly and the Irukandji which are extremely venomous. The dangerous jellyfish were once only found in SE Asia and the Australian coast. Now, both are being found around the world.
No one is quite sure why these jellyfish are spreading so quickly. However, from their evolutionary standpoint, these creatures are meant to swarm the oceans. Jellyfish have a few advantages over other sea creatures including few predators, an ability to eat both fish and their eggs to collapse endure populations, and their ability to reproduce quickly through polyps.
With humans altering the natural processes of the ocean, jellyfish seem to be able to explore their population levels and expand worldwide.
Learn more about the trouble jellyfish are creating around the world here.