Venom-containing tentacles refer to the decline of the sea

The blue patrol boats run along the swimming area of ​​the beaches with large nets gliding over the surface of the water. The yellow flag signaled caution, the red flag forbid swimming because of the dangerous water, and now there was a blue flag warning a new danger: jellyfish swarms.

Jellyfish at the Academy of Marine Science Barcelona, ​​Spain. Scientists say jellyfish recently appeared in places where they rarely visited.

In just a few hours, a few weeks ago, 300 people in Bacerlona beaches had to be treated for jellyfish poisoning, of which 11 were taken to hospitals.

From Spain to NewYork, Australia, Japan and Hawaii, jellyfish are becoming more and more crowded and popular, they are present at places that they rarely visited before. These animals are endangering children who accidentally bathe in the summer vacation, forcing beaches to close and affordable fishing nets.

While the encroachment of jellyfish is a nuisance for tourists as well as fishermen, for scientists they are an alarm, a signal of serious deterioration of sea conditions throughout. world.

'The jellyfish near the shore are the message that the sea sends us,' Look at your poor counterpart to me, 'said Dr. Josep-María Gili, a jellyfish expert. . He studied jellyfish at the Spanish Academy of Marine Science Research Institute in Barcelona for over 20 years.

A jellyfish off the Mediterranean in the island of Mallorca, Spain.(Photo: Cardona / Reuters)

The explosion of jellyfish, scientists said, reflects the abusive exploitation of wild predators , such as tuna, shark and swordfish; rising sea temperature comes from global warming; and pollution depletes oxygen levels in shallow coastal areas.

These issues are clearly expressed in the Mediterranean Sea, surrounded by dozens of countries, which is also the source of business and leisure of these countries. If not properly concerned, in the Mediterranean or anywhere, the above problems can make the jellyfish populations that threaten the coast become the dark prospect of the sea in the near future.

Dr. Gili, who admires the beauty of spherical jellyfish, said: 'The problem of beaches is a social issue. We need to solve this problem for the tourism industry. However, the bigger, deeper problem is not the beach, but what is happening in the ocean. '

Jellyfish, relatives of anemones and corals are almost harmless, practically like cockroaches of open waters, the main survivors of the ocean in damaged environments. And that's exactly what they're doing.

In the past few years, there have been a number of closed beaches for jellyfish in Côte d'Azur, France; Great Barrier Reef, Australia; Waikiki and Virgina beaches, United States.

In Australia alone, more than 30,000 people were treated for jellyfish poisoning last year, double that in 2005. The rare but dangerous Irukandji jellyfish is expanding its territory in Australia's warm waters, scientists. marine school said.

Jellyfish at the Marine Science Institute, Barcelona, ​​Spain.Recently they appeared in places where it was rare to see them in the past.(Photo: Lourdes Segade for The International Heral Tribune)

While no reliable data on jellyfish exists, the growing number of reports from all over the world has convinced scientists that this trend is real, serious and interrelated. climate. However, they warned that jellyfish colonies in a certain location underwent changes from year to year.

'Man-made pressures, including global warming and fishing abuses, are encouraging jellyfish to appear in large numbers at tourist sites and high-productivity fishing grounds , ' According to the National Science Foundation, the organization made a report on this phenomenon and made a list of troubled areas: Australia, Gulf of Mexico, Hawaii, Black Sea, Namibia, United Kingdom, Mediterranean, waters Japan and the Yangtze estuary.

In Barcelona, ​​one of Spain's most prominent tourist destinations, the city government and the Catalan Clean Water Agency began to counterattack. They try their best to ensure the safety of visitors' bathing.

Every morning, with the help of Dr. Gili and colleagues, the boat is mobilized to control the jellyfish offshore, wind and water streams to see if the coast is threatened and closed. Is it necessary or not? They also examined whether collecting jellyfish in the waters near the coast is necessary. Xavier Durna of the clean water agency said nearly 100 ships are always ready to deal with emergency situations. Dr. Gili's cell phone kept ringing to show the role of directing and controlling the epidemic in Spain. Calls come from everywhere.

The government at Santander and Basque worried about the frequent occurrence of venomous jellyfish on the Atlantic coast, the area where this lethal warm water animal rarely visited.

Fishermen donate the area where they remove the jellyfish from the fishing net.(Photo: Lourdes Segade for The International Herald Tribune)

Farther south, a fishing boat from the Murcia region called to report on a swarm of Pelagia noctiluca - a sparkling purplish jellyfish that emitted a nasty poison - longer than a mile. A chef, perhaps trying to take advantage of what might be in the declining ocean, wants to know if this local animal is safe to eat when cooked or not. Dr. Gili is also not sure, because there are many unknown things about jellyfish.

In the past decades, jellyfish problems only appear every few years, and last for a few days; Currently the threat of jellyfish is a daily problem for local authorities and is often the focus of evening news. Dr. Gili said: 'In the past few years, the sea function has changed completely - the temperature has risen slightly.'

Although the character for the B-type horror movies, jellyfish are not aggressive animals. They follow the currents. When touching something warm - for example, a human body - they automatically secrete venom from poisonous taps on themselves, tentacles or threads of thread can length up to several iats.

Some, such as the man-of-war Portugese or giant box jellyfish, can be fatal. Pelagia noctiluca venom, commonly found in the Mediterranean, causes sharp pain and creates wounds that exist for weeks, months and even years, depending on the person being exposed and the area of ​​contact.

In the Mediterranean, abuse of catching both large and small fish eliminates food competitors, as well as dangerous predators for jellyfish. Unlike Asia, where jellyfish are also a dish, here they have no commercial or economic value.

Global warming makes the sea warmer and the drier climate has an advantage for jellyfish, since most jellyfish breed better and faster in warm water, according to Dr. Jennifer Purcell, jellyfish expert. at Shannon Sea Point Center of Western Washington University.

Global warming also reduces rainfall in temperate climates, allowing jellyfish to reach the coast more easily. Rainwater from the soils often reduces the salinity of the water at the coast 'creating a natural barrier to prevent jellyfish from reaching the shore,' said Dr Gili.

Removing jellyfish from the net can cause poisoning and pain in the hands.(Photo: Lourdes Segade for The International Herald Tribune)

In addition, pollution reduces oxygen levels and visibility in seawater. While some other fish species stay away or die in seawater with low oxygen levels, jellyfish have no problems. And most fish species must have a certain vision for food, while filtered jellyfish are passively eaten from seawater and therefore can be eaten in the dark.

The people of Barcelona were forced to live with their new neighbors.

Last month, 8-year-old Mirela Gómez, running from the water with a jellyfish sting, made her legs suddenly itch and aching. Her grandparents immediately took her grandson to the nearby Red Cross shack. 'I was afraid to go back to the water again,' she said, holding out a red mark on her lower leg.

Francisco Antonio Padrós, a 77-year-old fisherman, cursed angrily when he scooped up a weekend of the weekend, removing dozens of jellyfish clinging to the net and throwing them into the puddle. Picking up a few shrimp, he said his nets often 'contained more jellyfish than fish'.

At the end of his work, his callous hands were flushed and swollen to twice their normal size. He said: 'Right now I don't know if I have a hand - they're aching, numb and itchy'.

Dr. Santiago Nogué, head of the largest hospital toxicology department here, said that although 90% of wounds from venom heal in a week or two, many people still suffer from pain and itching for months. Each year, he met about 20 patients who had symptoms without reacting to any treatment method, sometimes needing surgery to remove the contaminated areas.

However, the sea has long been associated with life in Bacerlona, ​​and this is unlikely to change. Recently when beaches closed, children on the breakwater collected jellyfish buckets. The next day, Antonio López, a diver, emerged from the water. He said: 'Every year, the number increases again - we see hundreds of children off the coast today. You just have to learn how to deal with their venom. '