The National Fisheries Research and Development Institute has sounded the alarm. From its eyes in the skies, it has been tracking a group of 160,000 jellyfish which are expected to reach the southern coast of Jeju-do by this weekend. The jellyfish bloom may then move on to the western and south-eastern coastlines. That means those planning summer vacations in Haeundae or Buan Beaches and so on should exercise caution when swimming, snorkeling or diving.
It’s a humbling thing to realize that the Echizen jellyfish or Nomura’s jellyfish, way down on the evolutionary ladder, have outlasted dinosaurs ( and will probably be around long after the last man or woman on Earth passes on. In the ultimate game of Survivor, these brainless, heartless, boneless and bloodless beings, which can reach a maximum weight of 200 kgs and head spans of 2 m in diameter, may end up the winners in the long-run.
Nomura jellyfish in Little Munsom island, Jeju-do. Taken by Janne Hellsten from Finland
Happened to watch a rerun of a National Geographic TV documentary on this very subject a few weeks ago. It’s not just a problem for the Koreans and the Japanese who live near the East China Sea but it’s happening in different parts of the world. I’m dismayed because I’m not sure if this means my snorkeling days are over. At the same time, I’m fascinated to see how these simpletons of the marine world move so gracefully but I’m also mortified to realize how they give new and sinister meaning to the proverb: “The meek shall inherit the earth.”
But then again, according to scientists, we helped them thrive. Over-fishing may have gotten rid of the natural predators that usually eat the jellyfish larvae before they transform from polyps to stinging machines. Fertilizers and sewage that find their way into the seas may have created the ideal breeding grounds for them.
The Three Gorges Dam in China has been identified as a probable culprit as the resulting phosphorus and nitrogen levels also create conducive environments for the Nomura jellyfish. Global warming is yet another suspect. Even when frustrated Japanese fishermen tried to kill them in large numbers, they may have ironically triggered off a greater release of spawn.
Photograph courtesy Shin-ichi Uye, Hiroshima University
See earlier posting on other perils from the sea.
sources:
http://www.zmescience.com/ecology/climate/giant-files-nomura-and-lions-mane-jellyfish-000026/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nomura's_jellyfish
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Nomura_jellyfish_2009_Korea_b.jpg
http://www.arirang.co.kr/News/News_View.asp?nseq=105428&code=Ne2&category=2
http://lookatkorea.com/blog/korea/archives/tag/jellyfish/
http://tokyolifer.spaces.live.com/?_c11_BlogPart_pagedir=Next&_c11_BlogPart_handle=cns!C15CE2153B2A6689!3564&_c11_BlogPart_BlogPart=blogview&_c=BlogPart
http://marinesciencetoday.com/2009/06/11/jellyfish-overpopulation-a-threat-to-the-oceans/
