Jellyfish blooms

Fish & Invertebrate sightings and descriptions, hosted by resident NWDC ID expert Janna Nichols (nwscubamom).
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oldsalt
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Jellyfish blooms

Post by oldsalt »

While cruising around the Sound, I've noticed several jellyfish blooms
The most impressive was the moon jelly bloom I encountered in Quartermaster Harbor. The park ranger says he sees it about two days a year.
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DSCN4258.JPG
The previous two days, egg-yolk jellies populated Port Orchard, often a dozen at a time.
DSCN4252.JPG
Earlier I noticed a massive bloom of water jellies in Port Ludlow and isolated lion's manes but no congregations of them.
I have seen no "mixed flocks".
Is it common for jellyfish to do these "system sorts", or do mixed groupings occur?
-Curt :questionmarks:
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Nwbrewer
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Re: Jellyfish blooms

Post by Nwbrewer »

There's been a LOT of egg yolk jellies in the south sound this year. At least they don't sting as bad as lion's manes!
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LCF
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Re: Jellyfish blooms

Post by LCF »

I suspect it's a "dog eat dog" world in the jelly universe. Sunday, I dove Maury Island with my friend Kirk, and we found a lion's mane eating an egg yolk (at least, the egg yolk appeared to be the loser). So I would guess that, in mixed groups, they simply eat one another.
"Sometimes, when your world is going sideways, the second best thing to everything working out right, is knowing you are loved..." ljjames
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Dusty2
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Re: Jellyfish blooms

Post by Dusty2 »

Love that first shot! the warm dry weather seems to favor them. Wish we could be out there filming them from the bottom side old buddy! :crybaby:
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oldsalt
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Re: Jellyfish blooms

Post by oldsalt »

A follow-up on jellyfish blooms. I encountered a fisheries biologist from WSDFW while moored at Des Moines. He said that the increase in jellyfish is not just a perception, but real. There is concern that they have displaced the small fish, herring, sandlance and such. They are watching to see how this will affect the distribution of other populations as animals which feed on jellyfish, such as chum salmon, respond to this population explosion.

Lynne, I like your "death by association" explanation.

Dusty, I don't think about our diving together any more than a few hundred times a day.
-Curt
Happy to be alive.
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