Close your eyes and imagine this, millions of jellyfish floating peacefully underwater. Each one a different color and size. There are over 2,000 discovered species of Jellyfish some reaching to be larger than a blue whale while others can be as small as a centimeter. You may think that what you are imaging is just a tranquil scene but, these millions of Jellyfish are multiplying way too quickly thus creating problems for their environment.
As the number of jellyfish continue to grow it negatively impacts local fisherman and cities. Jellyfish usually travel in packs called swarms. Jellyfish can lay up to 40,000 eggs daily these massive reproducing causes swarms to grow out of control. These packs are called blooms. In the article www.jellyfishandfisheries.com/solutions the author (Rosalind Fonem) suggest that “In the Black Sea, blooms of Mnemiopsis jellyfish are responsible for millions of dollars in losses for the local fishery industries.” For example, one of the food these blooms of Jellyfish eat is anchovies, more specifically their larvae and eggs. This causes their population to decrease meaning that local fishermen can’t catch and sell them thus meaning they lose money. Sadly, fishermen aren’t the only people affected by these Jellyfish. In places such as Japan, Israel, Scotland. Jellyfish were somehow able to clog water filters of nuclear power plants meaning that the plants had to be shut down once leaving the citizens of the Philippines without electricity.
Ways to solve these issues are limited, but with the help of some high school students and the Beroe Jellyfish scientist may be able to control these Jellyfish, but with a price? The Beroe Jellyfish: a species that eats other Jellyfish, is so far helping out regulate the number of Jellyfish in the area. Yet, scientists are afraid that the Jellyfish may be doing its job too well. If one were to place the predator in a different area that is overpopulated with Jellyfish, experts fear that the new species will disrupt the balance in the ecosystem. Luckily, some high school students in Japan have a different idea. Instead, they want to cook the Jellyfish into a caramel candy. They hope that they’ll be able to sell these sweets and save Japan from the brainless creatures.
To sum it all up, even though Jellyfish can bring up issues for areas around them when they reproduce. There is still hope that one day scientist or even a group of high school students can find a way to control the Jellyfish population so that they can continue to wander around the sea. Without harming fishermen or cities nearby of course.
