🐟 Fishy Friday — and this week, it’s a whole cast of characters.
Jellyfish are being spotted on UK beaches in huge numbers. The Marine Conservation Society recorded over 1,300 jellyfish sightings in a single year, with the barrel jellyfish surging 230 per cent, particularly in Scottish and Welsh waters. Their presence reflects deeper changes in our seas, with rising sea temperatures linked to increasing sightings closer to shore.
The species most commonly spotted around UK coasts include the moon jellyfish, barrel jellyfish, lion’s mane, and compass jellyfish. Even the more exotic Portuguese man o’war have been sighted.
If you find one on the beach
🪼 Observe from a safe distance
🪼 Keep children and pets away, jellyfish can still sting even when they appear lifeless on land
🪼 If stung, rinse with sea water (not fresh water), remove tentacles with tweezers rather than your fingers, and soak the area in warm water for at least 30 minutes
🪼 Do not use vinegar on UK jellyfish stings, it can cause the stinging cells to discharge further and make things considerably worse
🪼 Do not urinate on the sting, this is folklore, not medicine
A few words on the Portuguese man o’ war:
The man o’ war is often called a jellyfish, but it is not actually a jellyfish. It is not even an “it” , it is a “they.” The Portuguese man o’ war is a siphonophore, an animal made up of a colony of organisms working together. Different clones do different jobs, but all are connected to a central circulatory system so that every part of the colony is nourished.
They are blown into UK waters on westerly winds, found mainly on the Isles of Scilly, Cornwall, and increasingly along West and North Wales.
What we can learn 💡
We often talk about collaboration and using our unique skills where we add most value. We can learn so much from nature, and I think The Portuguese man o’ war is particularly impressive.
No single organism does everything. Each one does its part and relies on the rest to do theirs.
In isolation they would not survive. Collectively, they really are a force of nature not to be messed with.
Photo credit of Moon Jellyfish. Georgi Kalaydzhiev Unsplash
Moon jellyfish (Aurelia aurita), identifiable by the four distinct, circular gonads visible through their translucent bells.
Jellyfish are being spotted on UK beaches in huge numbers. The Marine Conservation Society recorded over 1,300 jellyfish sightings in a single year, with the barrel jellyfish surging 230 per cent, particularly in Scottish and Welsh waters. Their presence reflects deeper changes in our seas, with rising sea temperatures linked to increasing sightings closer to shore.
The species most commonly spotted around UK coasts include the moon jellyfish, barrel jellyfish, lion’s mane, and compass jellyfish. Even the more exotic Portuguese man o’war have been sighted.
If you find one on the beach
🪼 Observe from a safe distance
🪼 Keep children and pets away, jellyfish can still sting even when they appear lifeless on land
🪼 If stung, rinse with sea water (not fresh water), remove tentacles with tweezers rather than your fingers, and soak the area in warm water for at least 30 minutes
🪼 Do not use vinegar on UK jellyfish stings, it can cause the stinging cells to discharge further and make things considerably worse
🪼 Do not urinate on the sting, this is folklore, not medicine
A few words on the Portuguese man o’ war:
The man o’ war is often called a jellyfish, but it is not actually a jellyfish. It is not even an “it” , it is a “they.” The Portuguese man o’ war is a siphonophore, an animal made up of a colony of organisms working together. Different clones do different jobs, but all are connected to a central circulatory system so that every part of the colony is nourished.
They are blown into UK waters on westerly winds, found mainly on the Isles of Scilly, Cornwall, and increasingly along West and North Wales.
What we can learn 💡
We often talk about collaboration and using our unique skills where we add most value. We can learn so much from nature, and I think The Portuguese man o’ war is particularly impressive.
No single organism does everything. Each one does its part and relies on the rest to do theirs.
In isolation they would not survive. Collectively, they really are a force of nature not to be messed with.
Photo credit of Moon Jellyfish. Georgi Kalaydzhiev Unsplash
Moon jellyfish (Aurelia aurita), identifiable by the four distinct, circular gonads visible through their translucent bells.