January 25, 2013

Jellyfish "Blooms" Wax and Wane in Natural Cycles




Research shows blooms follow periodic global oscillations

Once a month, on the darkest nights near the new moon, otherworldly beings emerge from Pacific Ocean depths and drift onto the beaches of Hawaii.

Hundreds, sometimes thousands, of these quivering masses of jelly float in with the night tide.

Near shore, time grows short to complete their mission: to reproduce, leaving behind miniature versions of themselves fastened with a glue-like substance to reefs and rocks in the shallows.

Box jellyfish, the invaders are called. Over the past few decades, more and more box jellies are in the waters around Hawaii. The question, scientists say, is where are the jellies coming from?

In the marine science world, it's been dogma that jellyfish are increasing in seas and oceans.