Mauve Stingers

Posted by John Blatchford Jan 17, 2008

In 2007 a swarm of jellyfish attacked an Irish salmon farm, and in 2006 over ten thousand people needed medical treatment after being stung while swimming off the Spanish coast.

Global Warming

Before 2007 Mauve Stingers had never caused problems in British waters, and it is thought that global warming might be responsible for this new phenomenon. Warmer water in general, or maybe effects on ocean currents might be bringing these jellyfish further north. Swansea University has received a grant of £50,000 to help specialists find out exactly what is happening.

Ecological Data

Pelagica noctiluca has never been studied in great detail, and it is only since the damage was caused to the salmon farm in Ireland that interest has been generated. There are insufficient past records to show whether the recent large swarms in the seas around Britain are normal for this species, or if this behaviour has started recently. The fear is that warmer water is bringing the jellyfish further north, and that Mauve Stingers will begin to appear regularly in the future. Before anything can be decided it will be necessary to collect some basic ecological data about this species, and this has been started by researchers counting the jellyfish they see from the deck of passenger ferries that regularly cross the Irish Sea.

Source: ‘UK coasts on alert for return of killer jellyfish.’ by Science Editor Robin McKie – The Observer 13/01/08