Jellyfish: Coming to a Beach Near You
by Mairi Beautyman, Berlin, Germany on 07.24.07
It's a day at the beach: You stroll into the water for a refreshing dip...and suddenly feel like you've been electrocuted. Yep, here's another nice side affect of global warming: Pesky marine invertebrates out to get you. Bathers in Europe are reeling from an onslaught of jellyfish.
Last week, 62 bathers were stung by jellyfish at Spain's Costa Blanca beach alone, according to the Independent. The most troublesome species is the Mauve stinger (shown), which is reported in vast numbers off the Balearics and in the Mediterranean.
Ironically, this slimy jelly-producing sea creature is conquering the world's oceans without a brain--functioning instead with a nervous system and rhopalia (sensory structures) to perceive stimuli.
The over population is credited to warming oceans and over-fishing, which removes predators and competitors. The worst example is the Black Sea--90 per cent of the biomass there is jellyfish, according to one sample. Hot water is the best way to treat a sting. Via ::The Independent Also see ::How To Save The Dead Sea From Dying Twice ::Do I Dare to Eat a Shrimp? ::Cleaning up their act – Anti Litter Campaigns in Catalonia
Image courtesy of oboi.vsego.ru
Well, There is another reason to stay out of the water, lol.