Blue Jellyfish Invade Australia Beaches
It's summer down under, and at many Australian beaches the sands have turned as blue as the water.
Huge armadas of toxic bluebottle jellyfish are swamping Australia's east coast in record numbers, putting the sting on peak beach season.
More than 30,000 people were stung by the translucent blue jellies on this coast last year—more than twice the number of incidents in 2005—according to Australia's lifeguard group, Surf Life Saving (SLS).
And in a single weekend earlier this month, beachgoers reported more than 1,200 stings, several requiring hospitalization.
The recent influx is the result of a wind shift that has pushed flotillas of the invertebrates ashore, scientists say. But the overall trend suggests that the 6-inch-long (15-centimeter-long) jellyfish are growing in number due to warming ocean waters.
posted by Julie @ 12:08 PM
1 comments
1 Comments:
just to let you know blue bottles are actually Portuguese Man of War, although they are commonly thought of as jellyfish. They have a sail filled or air bladder which floats, unlike jellyfish who can propel themselves, and swim at different depths.
-tanya
Post a Comment
<< Home