Every year, on beaches around the world, colonies of sailor jellyfish (Velella velella) end up stranded on beaches by the thousands. They then dry up and die, becoming a “crunchy carpet” of dehydrated corpses covering the sand, Julia Parrish, a University of Washington professor and co-author of a new study on mass Velella strandings, said in a statement.
The jellyfish strandings are common when seasonal winds change course. But in rare cases, like a 2006 event on the west coast of New Zealand, the jellyfish corpses came up in millions instead of thousands. What caused that?
Parrish and her colleagues wanted to find out. In their new study (published March 18 in the journal Marine Ecology Progress Series) they looked into 20 years of Velella observations reported along the west coast of the United States.
The observations came from a program called the Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team, also known as COASST, which trains citizen scientists to search their local beaches for marine birds that have washed up on shore, as well as any other unusual wildlife sightings. The COASST program covers hundreds of beaches stretching from northern California to the Arctic Circle.
The researchers found almost 500 reports of Velella strandings in the COASST database. They were seen on nearly 300 beaches. According to the reports, the biggest strandings happened during spring months from 2015 to 2019. During that time, dead jellyfish covered more than 620 miles of coastline.
Interestingly, the jellyfish die-offs also coincided with a massive marine heat wave known as “the blob.” In 2013, surface waters off the Pacific coast began heating up to levels never recorded before. The intense warming continued through 2016, which resulted in mass die-offs of seabirds, baleen whales, sea lions, and other creatures. According to the new study, it’s likely that the blob caused the mass die-offs of by-the-wind sailor jellyfish reported during those years.
However, those warming ocean waters may have actually been good for the jellyfish the researchers said. As the blob increased ocean surface temperatures, certain fish (such as northern anchovies) benefited from longer spawning seasons. This provided more food for Velella jellyfish earlier in the year. This may have caused jellyfish populations to spike before the seasonal wind changes blew the creatures ashore.
“A changing climate creates new winners and losers in every ecosystem,” Parrish said in the statement. “What’s scary is that we’re actually documenting that change.”
I had highly recommend this blog to my good friend, it’s so good
I wish I could craft such articles as this. Thank you very much.
Nice read, I just passed this onto a colleague who was doing some research on that. And he just bought me lunch as I found it for him smile Therefore let me rephrase that: Thank you for lunch!
I believe you have remarked on some very interesting points , thankyou for the post.
I really like your writing style, excellent info , thanks for putting up : D.
You are one talented writer thank you for the post.
It’s continually awesome when you can not only be informed, but also entertained! I’m sure you had fun writing this article. Regards, Clotilde.
I like to spend my free time by scanning various internet resources. Today I came across your website and I found it has some of the most practical and helpful information I’ve seen.
This is the wave – the big wave.
বাংলা প্রশ্ন উত্তর সাইট তল্লাশি, আজই আপনার সমস্যা নিয়ে প্রশ্ন করুন , অভিজ্ঞ ব্যক্তিগন আপনার প্রশ্নের উত্তর দিয়ে সহযোগিতা করবে । তাছাড়াও অন্যাদের প্রশ্নের উত্তর দিয়ে, জিতে নিন আকর্ষণীয় পুরস্কার । তল্লাশিতে যেকোনো বিষয়ে প্রশ্ন করতে পারেন।।
A good web site with interesting content, that’s what I need. Thank you for making this web site, and I will be visiting again. Do you do newsletters? I Can’t find it.
Have you given any kind of thought at all with converting your current web-site into French? I know a couple of of translaters here that will would certainly help you do it for no cost if you want to get in touch with me personally.
This is a great blog. Thank you for the very informative post.
I’m so happy to read this. This is the type of manual that needs to be given and not the random misinformation that’s at the other blogs. Appreciate your sharing this best doc.
I have been curious about these trends, and you have really helped me. I have just told a few of my friends about this on FaceBook and they love your content just as much as I do.
It is perfect time to make some plans for the future and it is time to be happy. I’ve read this post and if I could I want to suggest you some interesting things or suggestions. Perhaps you can write next articles referring to this article. I wish to read more things about it!
have already been reading ur blog for a couple of days. really enjoy what you posted. btw i will be doing a report about this topic. do you happen to know any great websites or forums that I can find out more? thanks a lot.
Just wanna admit that this is extremely helpful, Thanks for taking your time to write this.
Wow, amazing blog layout! How long have you been blogging for? you made blogging look easy. The overall look of your site is great, as well as the content!
I wrote down your blog in my bookmark. I hope that it somehow did not fall and continues to be a great place for reading texts.
It’s the best time to make some plans for the future and it is time to be happy. I’ve read this post and if I could I wish to suggest you some interesting things or tips. Maybe you can write next articles referring to this article. I wish to read even more things about it!
Thanks for a Interesting item; I enjoyed it very much. Regards Sang Magistrale
Wow, amazing blog layout! How long have you been blogging for? you made blogging look easy. The overall look of your site is great, as well as the content!
Multi-Threading RDP
Surprisingly good post. I really found your primary webpage and additionally wanted to suggest that have essentially enjoyed searching your website blog posts. Whatever the case I’ll always be subscribing to your entire supply and I hope you jot down ever again soon!
Thanks For This Blog, was added to my bookmarks.
You are my inhalation , I possess few web logs and very sporadically run out from to brand 🙁
I think other website proprietors should take this web site as an model, very clean and great user pleasant style and design .
Hello.This article was extremely interesting, particularly since I was searching for thoughts on this subject last couple of days.
The post is absolutely great! Lots of great info and inspiration, both of which we all need! Also like to admire the time and effort you put into your blog and detailed information you offer! I will bookmark your website!
Our community leaders need to read this, and look at developing some of your recommendations.
The information shared is of top quality which has to get appreciated at all levels. Well done…
Thank you for sharing indeed great looking !
Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful post with us.
Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful post with us.
Nice i really enjoyed reading your blogs. Keep on posting. Thanks
I cannot thank you more than enough for the blogposts on your website. I know you set a lot of time and energy into these and truly hope you know how deeply I appreciate it. I hope I’ll do a similar thing person sooner or later.
Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful post with us.
The information shared is of top quality which has to get appreciated at all levels. Well done…
Nice i really enjoyed reading your blogs. Keep on posting. Thanks
Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful post with us.
The information shared is of top quality which has to get appreciated at all levels. Well done…
The information shared is of top quality which has to get appreciated at all levels. Well done…
Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful post with us.
I was reading through some of your content on this internet site and I believe this web site is very informative ! Continue posting .
Nice i really enjoyed reading your blogs. Keep on posting. Thanks
A great post without any doubt.