Jeremy Jackson calls it "The Rise of Slime". Daniel Pauly sees a future in jellyfish burgers. And given that this week is the 2nd International Jellyfish Bloom Symposium--where D. Pauly will deliver the keynote address (having not been able to attend the 1st symposium in Alabama in 2002)--it seemed fitting this week should be dedicated to jellyfish bloom and gloom.
Jellyfish, given their lowly position on the marine food chain and their penchant for degraded ecosystems, are, after all, the darlings of shifting baselines. They are the reality of our marine future unless we decide to change.
Jellyfish Blooms: No Bed of Roses
The removal of predatory fish throughout the world's oceans (by commercial fisheries to feed humans and what we eat) combined with nutrient runoff (jargon for 'sewage') have made the perfect ocean petri dish for jellyfish blooms. These 'blooms' are no blossoms, but more like explosions of jellies--a global jellyfish boom.
A 2005 report in Science showed that jellyfish blooms in the Yangtze River are in direct competition with fish for food. Inedible jellyfishes now make up 98.44% of total catches and clog the nets of trawlers in the river's mouth (the same trawlers pehaps responsible for making marine ecosystems amenable to jellyfish).
Last summer, the entire Mediterranean was on jellyfish alert and more than 30,000 people were stung. In some areas off the Spanish coast, scientists with Oceana found more than 10 jellyfish per square meter.
Japan slowed down a nuclear power plant last summer because jellyfish were blocking the water intake, which is easy to imagine given the size of some jellyfish in the area (including the 200-kg jelly in the photo above found off Japan's shores in October 2005).
In the Gulf of Mexico, all species of jellyfish are rapidly increasing and overlapping with prime fishing grounds, such as those for Red snapper. Moon jellyfish are being found in concentrations so dense they're described as gelatinous nets.
This week, I will take a closer look at jellyfish. In the meantime, more bloom and gloom:
A report last week from Australia discusses how jellyfish impeding shipping and fishing worldwide.
Jellyfish blooms on the African coast.
The report from the 1st International Jellyfish Bloom Symposium.
Comments
Jelly Burgers? What an awesome idea! Just think of the economic opportunity here. Yet another case where pollution can create opportunities creating jobs. Other than the known toxins in the jellies, we might be avoid the common problems with beef (fecal coliform contamination, etc). Jelly-slaughterhouse workers wouldn't need the chainmail, but they'd need something to avoid the nematocysts.
Maybe we could redefine "jelly doughnut" and shift that baseline, too.
Hair gel(jel) anyone? Don't mind that mild stinging sensation, it just tells you that it's working. [There's probably an SB film in there somewhere.]
Of course, this also gives me a great opportunity to market the DAN Hazardous Marine Life Injuries course to scuba divers. (shameless plug) http://www.webscuba.net/dan-courses.php#hml
Posted by: Jon Rusho | June 25, 2007 12:00 PM
Have you ever had jellyfish? It's not bad, but it's certainly not my favorite. It's thinner, more translucent and more rubbery than squid. At least the way Japanese prepare it, I'm not too keen.
Posted by: Jeremy | June 25, 2007 7:29 PM
That is one huge jelly fish.
Posted by: Bill | June 27, 2007 4:39 AM