For the second year running mauve stinger jellyfish invaded Maltese shores. This phenomenon was witnessed across the Mediterranean...
There's hardly a breeze and from afar the white sand seems to have been replaced by red and yellow umbrellas, white sun beds and sunburnt tourists. Having walked down the path and placed towels and beach bags in the little space left close to their preferred spot, eager to cool bodies and tempers with a much-awaited dip, a group of young friends rush to the edge of the water but stop abruptly. Nobody is swimming even if the sand is burning and streams of sweat trickle down foreheads. Blank faces stare at the water, thinking how this year has been worse than the last.
Enjoying the attention of onlookers, a handful of macho beach bums decide to take the plunge, but are still carefully looking around them to make sure they avoid the pain that's to come. Undisturbed, they are enjoying the water (and the attention) making all the rest feel cowardly. But it just takes a minute of distraction till the first "ouch!" and "aah!" are heard and everyone is out of the water in no time.
Some decide to return to their sun beds with a pop novel or gossip magazine to keep them company, a few kill time enjoying an ice-cream, talking and flirting, while others walk back to their cars heading to another beach where the wind has hopefully pushed the stinging nuisances away.
It has been the typical beach scene this summer, not only in Malta and Gozo. Swarms of mauve stinger jellyfish, known scientifically as Pelagia noctiluca, have stung bathers from Spain to Sicily, with Greece and North Africa also heavily affected. Reports in the foreign media said red flags, usually hoisted in stormy weather, lined beaches in the most popular resorts of Spain, the Italian Riviera and Sicily, putting off holidaymakers and badly affecting tourism.
Reports claimed that up to 30,000 people have been stung by the jellies, even if that sounds like a very conservative figure when considering that, according to Time magazine, the Red Cross has treated more than 14,000 stung bathers in the Spanish region of Catalonia alone.
The simplest and most primitive of animals has managed to upset bathers and tourists across the Mediterranean, disturbing tour operators and adding to the headaches of tourism authority chairmen.
Conventional theories explaining the sudden surge in jellyfish populations abound. Some attribute it to climate change, some to the over fishing of predators and others still to water pollution. Yet, the reasons given for jellyfish infestations, even those by experts, are often conflicting.
Francesc Peters, a marine biologist at the Institute of Marine Science in Barcelona, told the BBC that higher temperatures and higher salinity near the coast may be bringing the swarms of jellyfish, which usually inhabit offshore waters, closer to the coast. Global warming could mean that these conditions occur more frequently.
Yet, though the jellyfish invasion may be related to a warmer Mediterranean, pinning it down to one cause is simplistic, according to Patrick J. Schembri, biology professor at the University of Malta.
"It's true that we have seen an increase last year and this year as well, but it's definitely not as bad as the early 1980s," he insists.
The Mediterranean is experiencing a warming trend which affects all marine biology, but this may or may not be linked to global warming, Prof. Schembri said.
"Globally, we do not have enough data to be able to link the jellyfish bloom to water temperature fluctuations. You need to have collected data over centuries to be able to identify a trend, more so before linking temperature fluctuations and changes in currents to climate change," he said.
What is sure is that the jellyfish invading Mediterranean coasts is not a coastal species. It is an offshore kind being driven by wind generated currents.
Prof. Schembri explains that one of the reasons for the jellyfish bloom is that their food is abundant.
Some scientists claim that an increase in chemical nutrients in the seawater are providing nourishment for plankton - the small organisms on which jellyfish feed - causing the latter to proliferate. The increase in nutrients itself is ascribed to agricultural runoff from rivers and untreated sewage flowing into the sea, essentially both forms of water pollution.
Yet, Prof. Schembri, argues, there was no such thing as pollution in the early 1800s, when the first blooms of this species of jellyfish in the Mediterranean were recorded.
"It's much more complex than it seems, though it is plausible to say that the jellyfish bloom is an natural phenomenon which occurs every so often, even though the cycle is, really and truly, unpredictable," he remarks.
Trying to keep jellyfish infestations at bay
The jellyfish threat has prompted action by the Malta Tourism Authority to come up with a strategy to curb the jellyfish surge which is said to create problems in the tourism industry across the Mediterranean.
An MTA spokesman said he could not really disclose what has been outlined in the report, still in draft form, at this point in time, but said the report looks at the impact of the phenomenon on tourism, listing methods of how jellyfish may be prevented from entering beaches or scooped out of the water.
Meanwhile, the word is spreading that Paradise Bay is jellyfish free as a net has been placed to prevent jellies from drifting towards the beach. Bathers can see for themselves if it works or not!
Granny's most popular remedies to treat stings
It is very difficult to have any data on how many people have been treated, said Neville Calleja of the Health Information Centre when asked if the authorities had any information on the number of people who were stung by jellyfish this summer.
"Even if we did keep statistics, it would be just the tip of the iceberg as people usually nurse jellyfish stings on their own and most don't go to health centres, polyclinics or even their own doctor. You can work out an estimate through a survey, but we haven't done that so far," he said.
Mary Ann Sant Fournier, president of the Chamber of Pharmacists, said people call on pharmacists for advice on what to do in case of stings sometimes. Yet pharmacists have not had unusual demands for ointments or other forms of medication to treat jellyfish stings.
"Most people employ what are called grandmother's remedies, which is information, people exchange, such as washing stings with vinegar and so on. In some cases, however, people need to be seen by a doctor if the stings are bad," she said.
But is there an effective jellyfish repellent?
Though some sun block products available on dispenser shelves now claim to contain jellyfish sting preventive lotion, pharmacists say people still prefer using rudimental remedies commonly used to relieve stings, though people who are badly stung and in pain sometimes end up in hospital.
Most sun block/jellyfish repellents marketed contain a disclaimer. One such warning on a particular product states that jellyfish "can be dangerous", and that the product should not be considered a recommendation to go into water infested with jellyfish. "While this product has been tested and shown to help prevent stings, it is not a guarantee against stings. In case of sting do not use this product as a treatment - seek medical attention."
People often recommend different remedies on how to treat jellyfish stings, but advice may be conflicting. Some say you should apply vinegar, alcohol, ammonia, meat tenderisers and baking powder, rinse the sting with fresh water or even urine. Others disagree, saying that some of these will make the sting worse. A quick search on the internet does not help clarify matters at all.
According to biology professor Patrick J. Schembri, "there is no sure remedy for jellyfish stings that will work on all people at all times, and what works on one occasion may make matters worse on another". It doesn't stop getting complicated.
"Understanding this entails looking at the way jellyfish sting," he said.
Stinging cells, called cnidocytes, are used by jellyfish for feeding and defence against predators. One tentacle may have hundreds of thousands of such cells. Each cells nematocysts, which are capsules, containing venom.
Tentacles can become detached from jellyfish but still sting. "This is the reason why mechanical means of removing jellyfish en masse from the water, such as by the use of nets, do not make the water safe to swim in," he said.
"The nematocyst acts like a combined harpoon and hypodermic syringe, attaching the prey to the tentacle and at the same time subduing or killing it by injecting a powerful cocktail of toxins. In the case of a human brushing against a jellyfish tentacle, the 'harpoons' embed themselves in the skin, injecting their contents and causing the stinging sensation," Prof. Schembri explained.
Remedies are therefore intended to remove the fragments of tentacle that remain stuck to the skin and to prevent undischarged nematocysts from releasing more painful toxins.
Since their release is affected by the acidity or alkalinity of water, its chemical composition, chemicals released into the water by prey or any object that touches the jellyfish, and depending on how hungry the jellyfish is, white vinegar prevents further venom from penetrating. Meat tenderiser, or sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) will neutralise any nematocysts that have not yet discharged into the skin.
Prof. Schembri said the effectiveness of remedies depends on the person affected. "For example, which part of the body was stung, what chemicals (sun tan oil, cosmetics etc.) were applied to the area before the stinging occurred and how vigorously the affected area was rubbed before the remedy was applied, among others".
Treating stings
Wash off tentacles with fresh water
The instinctive reaction of pulling back often rips off the tentacles of the jellyfish which remain stuck to the body, even if they are practically invisible. Washing them off with a stream of fresh water is useful, though gently applying water to them may cause nematocysts to fire releasing more poison.
Some recommend applying shaving cream to the affected area and removing any remaining nematocysts with a knife edge, safety razor, or credit card.
Do not rub a sting
Rubbing causes inactive nematocysts on the body, or stinging cells, to activate, increasing the release of toxins and the pain.
Avoid use of sea water
Sea water should only be used as a last resort since it may only include fragmented tentacles and introduce bacteria or viruses.
Jellyfish (and chicken) salad!
Disgusting as it might sound to westerners, especially those nursing a sting, jellyfish feature in a Chinese salad along with shredded chicken and sesame seeds. A recipe book called The Food Of China by Deh-Ta Hsiung and Nina Simonds warns that jellyfish are only ever eaten once they have been preserved and dried. "They have a crunchy texture and are not like jelly," it says, going on to list the ingredients and describe how the dish may be prepared.