Stung! On jellyfish blooms and the future of the ocean
Gershwin, L.-A. (2013). Stung! On jellyfish blooms and the future of the ocean. University of Chicago Press: Chicago, London. ISBN 978-0-226-02010-5. 424 pp.
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| Beschikbaar in | Auteur |
VLIZ: Lower Invertebrates LOW.165 [103669]
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| Trefwoorden |
Aquatic sciences > Marine sciences > Ecology > Marine ecology
Blooms
Ecology
Organisms > Eukaryotes > Animals > Invertebrates > Cnidaria > Jellyfish
Marien/Kust |
| Abstract |
Our oceans are becoming increasingly inhospitable to life—growing toxicity and rising temperatures coupled with overfishing have led many marine species to the brink of collapse. And yet there is one creature that is thriving in this seasick environment: the beautiful, dangerous, and now incredibly numerous jellyfish. Recent documentaries about swarms of giant jellyfish invading Japanese fishing grounds and summertime headlines about armadas of stinging jellyfish in the Mediterranean and Chesapeake are only the beginning—jellyfish are truly taking over the oceans. Despite their often dazzling appearance, jellyfish are simple creatures with simple needs: namely, fewer predators and competitors, warmer waters to encourage rapid growth, and more places for their larvae to settle and grow. In general, oceans that are less favorable to fish are more favorable to jellyfish, and these are the very conditions that we are creating through mechanized trawling, habitat degradation, coastal construction, pollution, and climate change. |
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