More than 1,600 people central Florida's Atlantic beaches have been stung in the past week by jellyfish "Mauve Stingers" -
More than 1,600 people within a 10-mile stretch of central Florida's Atlantic beaches have been stung in the past week by a distinctive species of jellyfish not indigenous to North America, a rescue official said Tuesday.
Brevard County Ocean Rescue officials said they began flying warning flags at beaches from Cocoa Beach to Cape Canaveral last Tuesday, indicating either a medium or high hazard, along with another flag indicating dangerous marine life.
"From last Wednesday to Friday, we got about 600 reports. Saturday to (Tuesday), we got another thousand," Chief Jeff Scabarozi said.
Monty Graham, a scientist at Alabama's Dauphin Island Sea Lab, said the jellyfish appear to be what are known as mauve stingers, a species that often blooms in response to small climate cycles like El Niño.
"The interesting thing about these jellyfish is that they're very sporadic. They occur in heavy numbers, but not every year," he said.
Graham said the last time he had seen such a widespread outbreak in the United States was more than a decade ago. "They're much more common in the Mediterranean," he said. "Probably what we're seeing is a large population bloom in the Gulf of Mexico transported by the Gulf Stream wrapping around the coast of Florida."
All weekend long, countless numbers of jellyfish washed up on shores, standing out against the sand due to their characteristic purplish-reddish hue.
Graham said that although mauve stingers are smaller and much less familiar than the Portuguese man o' war and cannonball jellyfish that often wash up on Florida shores, the ruddy-colored animal can pack a punch.
"While they might be small, they're actually pretty potent. And unlike the others, these animals actually have stinging cells up on the top of their bells in addition to the stingers on their tentacles, which is uncommon."
When stung, mauve stinger victims may see a discoloration on their skin where contact was made, Graham said. "These guys will leave actual marks on you sometimes.
Read more - http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/05/31/florida.jellyfish/
More than 1,600 people within a 10-mile stretch of central Florida's Atlantic beaches have been stung in the past week by a distinctive species of jellyfish not indigenous to North America, a rescue official said Tuesday.
Brevard County Ocean Rescue officials said they began flying warning flags at beaches from Cocoa Beach to Cape Canaveral last Tuesday, indicating either a medium or high hazard, along with another flag indicating dangerous marine life.
"From last Wednesday to Friday, we got about 600 reports. Saturday to (Tuesday), we got another thousand," Chief Jeff Scabarozi said.
Monty Graham, a scientist at Alabama's Dauphin Island Sea Lab, said the jellyfish appear to be what are known as mauve stingers, a species that often blooms in response to small climate cycles like El Niño.
"The interesting thing about these jellyfish is that they're very sporadic. They occur in heavy numbers, but not every year," he said.
Graham said the last time he had seen such a widespread outbreak in the United States was more than a decade ago. "They're much more common in the Mediterranean," he said. "Probably what we're seeing is a large population bloom in the Gulf of Mexico transported by the Gulf Stream wrapping around the coast of Florida."
All weekend long, countless numbers of jellyfish washed up on shores, standing out against the sand due to their characteristic purplish-reddish hue.
Graham said that although mauve stingers are smaller and much less familiar than the Portuguese man o' war and cannonball jellyfish that often wash up on Florida shores, the ruddy-colored animal can pack a punch.
"While they might be small, they're actually pretty potent. And unlike the others, these animals actually have stinging cells up on the top of their bells in addition to the stingers on their tentacles, which is uncommon."
When stung, mauve stinger victims may see a discoloration on their skin where contact was made, Graham said. "These guys will leave actual marks on you sometimes.
Read more - http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/05/31/florida.jellyfish/
No comments:
Post a Comment