Jellyfish campaign reports uncommon species
Cigar jellyfish.
The Spot the Jellyfish campaign launched last May jointly by the IOI-MOC of the University of Malta and the Malta Tourism Authroity has recorded the occurrence of uncommon jellyfish and other gelatinous species.
In particular, the presence of the blue button (Porpita porpita) and the cigar jellyfish (Olindias phosphorica), were reported.
The blue button is characteristic of warmer, tropical waters. Different pyrosome and salp individuals were also recorded, some weighing up to 1.5 kilogrammes.
Pyrosomes and salps are sea squirts (pelagic tunicates) which do not sting and which are among the fastest growing marine organisms.
A variety of comb jellies (ctenophores) were also recorded. These generally lack stinging tentacles and have sticky ones instead.
The initial surge in reports for the mauve stinger (Pelagia noctiluca) reported in June subsided somewhat in July, with reports for this common stinging jellyfish going down by as much as 50 per cent. N other Portuguese man o’ war individuals were reported in July.
The Spot the Jellyfish initiative is coordinated by Aldo Drago with the technical and scientific implementation of Alan Deidun and staff of IOI-MOC. It enjoys the support of the MTA, Nature Trust, Friends of the Earth, EkoSkola and the BlueFlag Malta programme.
The initiative follows a citizen science approach and relies on the collaboration of the public, mariners, divers, and especially the younger generations through their teachers and parents.
Participants record the presence and location of different jellyfish through the use of a dedicated colourful reporting leaflet.
The leaflet is being widely distributed, and can be directly downloaded from www.ioikids.net/jellyfish, which is replete with snippets and anecdotes about different jellyfish species.
With the support of MTA, large posters have also been projected on boards along major bays on both islands.
The reporting is done by matching the sighted jellyfish with a simple visual identification guide, giving the date and time of the sighting, and indicating the number of jellies seen.
Sightings can also be reported online or submitted through an SMS on 79 222 278, or email on ioi-moc@um.edu.mt.
Strange jellyfish not included on the leaflet should be caught and kept in a bucketful of seawater prior to contacting IOI-MOC staff (alan.deidun@um.edu.mt) for retrieval to attempt a definite identification of the species. If this is not possible, photos of the same individuals should be taken.
So far, more than 200 records of different jellyfish species have been submitted by the public. These can be viewed online on a summary map http://oceania.research.um.edu.mt/jellyfish/stats.html which depicts jellyfish occurrence and distribution.
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Rosella Darmanin
Aug 1st 2010, 22:31
Can anyone pl explain why most off our waters were free from jellfish these last five weeks or so. We can only thank God for that but I would like to know the reason why. Hope it will be the same for the rest of the summer months. Thank you.
A. Zahra
Aug 1st 2010, 15:05
We've been going up to Mellieħa Bay for the past two years every week of Summer and these are the most common jellyfish that we see. Perhaps 1 to 3 sightings every time. My friend has been stung be one of these, and as Dr. Deidun rightly pointed out the sting was very mild.
Stephan Ellul vincenti
Jul 31st 2010, 12:03
This is the jellyfish i thought was the most common in my upbringing as a child i used to spend every day on the sand beach in Mellieha and this is the jelly fish we all used to see ...
this jelly fish is known very well in Mellieha and by residents there !
The sting is very mild and seems to disappear with in a few hrs.
Lesley Drury
Jul 31st 2010, 09:42
I have also come across this jellyfish in Mellieha Bay. It looks like a piece of seaweed in the water and you only notice it is a jellfish upon closer inspection or until it stings you. The sting is very mild compared to the other more common jellyfish.
Ritienne Gauci
Jul 31st 2010, 09:34
Interesting article and I am glad that Spot the Jellyfish is turning out to be a good venture. It would be good to also get an idea which locations got the most frequent sightings of jellyfish. Although in this case the correlation between presence of jellyfish and locations depends on the iniatitive of the citizens, what we have also missing so much in malta is indications whether some areas are more prone to jellyfish presence than others.
R. Brincat
Jul 30th 2010, 14:23
Fin 1979 kont qeda l Ghadira u gidmitni brama. Saqajja bdiet tintefahli dak il hin u kelli imur lis sptar. Wara xi hmistax beda johrigli dbengiel ma gismi kollu u kelli nithol ghal gimgha lis sptar ghax bdew jahsbu li kelli Leukemja. Sabbu li l gidma tal brama ivalenatli demmi u b hekk naqsuli l platlets mid demm. Oqodu attenti ghax ir reazjoni ta gidma ta brama mhiex ta kulhadd lis stess u ghalhekk idecidejt li naqsam din l esperjenza kera tieghi makkom. Barra min hekk ghandi is swaba tal brama ghadom imarkati mal pexxul biex zgur ma ninsix.
J.Agius
Aug 1st 2010, 12:58
Thank you for sharing your experience.
Mario Cachia
Jul 30th 2010, 13:55
I have been seeing that type of cigar jellyfish since I was young in Bugibba
James Portelli
Jul 31st 2010, 18:53
Yes I lived in St Paul's Bay and they were very common when I was younger. I think they sting a little bit more than the pink ones if I remember well.
Joseph Vassallo
Jul 30th 2010, 13:41
It looks like it might have swallowed a starfish... whole!
M Vella
Jul 30th 2010, 12:23
The END is near :)
B. Zammit
Jul 30th 2010, 11:41
About 35 years ago, these Cigar jellyfish were the only ones I used to see. They sting!
T Mifsud
Jul 30th 2010, 10:49
I saw the jellyfish in picture at Mellieha bay in a foot of water which was clean and clear.
Does this jellyfish sting?
Alan Deidun
Jul 30th 2010, 11:01
The sting of this species is only mild but it can cause skin irritations - normally considered less accentuated than the sting of the common Pelagia
Marcel Dingli
Jul 30th 2010, 11:41
Does this jellyfish sting ? Not as much as the Government, my friend.
J FARRUGIA
Jul 30th 2010, 10:31
I saw this jellyfish a couple of weeks ago