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 Giant jellyfish hits Britain;230% surge in sightings this year
The British coastline has experienced an unusually high increase in the numbers of jellyfish, a surge indicating a significant growth in their population this year.
The phenomenon is largely attributed to record-high sea surface temperatures and features a relatively gentle giant jellyfish and a bunch of white, frilly tentacles. Advertisement
Experts were of the view that there were 310 sightings of the species around Britain and Ireland had increased dramatically by 230 per cent over the past one year, reaching 310 sightings.
The cause of the massive escalation in numbers is uncertain, but it may be linked to the warmer sea temperatures and oceanic current variability.
Jellyfish play a pivotal role in the ocean, helping to move carbon through marine food and safeguarding biodiversity under changing ocean conditions.
Following the recent data, 1,327 sightings were recorded across the UK and Ireland in the period October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025.
It has been observed that out of this figure, 310 were the frilly-mouthed jellyfish, a number which is comparatively less than the number of moon jellyfish.
The report also offers insight into one of the primary predators of jellyfish found in British waters: the sea turtle.
It further showed that 12 were confirmed reports of turtles around British waters in the last year, with a confirmed increase compared to the previous year.
While nine of these were leatherback sea turtles, eight of which were alive, this species is one of the largest turtles in the world and the most commonly documented turtle in UK waters.
Nonetheless, most sightings occurred during the summer months, when leatherbacks migrate to British waters to feed on jellyfish.
This bloom is a notable environmental event linked to climate change, marking a major shift in the marine ecosystem. |
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发表于 2025-11-7 06:52:51