Jellyfish, those peculiar gelatinous beings that float in oceans around the world, have gone from being considered simple nuisances for swimmers and fishermen to playing a crucial role in the study of marine ecological changes.
These prehistoric organisms have inhabited the Earth for over 500 million years, making them one of the oldest animal groups.
Their simple biological structure, combined with their ability to adapt to variable environments, makes them particularly sensitive and responsive to oceanic transformations.
Therefore, their proliferation or decrease can reveal significant imbalances in aquatic ecosystems.
## Climate change drives massive blooms
One of the most evident effects of global warming is the increase in water temperature, a phenomenon that favors the uncontrolled expansion of jellyfish blooms.
These explosive increases in their populations, known as “blooms,” have been detected in various regions, including:
– [Sea of Japan](https://noticiasambientales.com/ciencia/el-planeta-arde-un-estudio-revelo-que-la-temperatura-media-del-planeta-superara-los-15-c-antes-de-2030/)
– [Gulf of Mexico](https://noticiasambientales.com/ciencia/el-planeta-arde-un-estudio-revelo-que-la-temperatura-media-del-planeta-superara-los-15-c-antes-de-2030/)
– [Mexican Pacific Coast](https://noticiasambientales.com/ciencia/el-planeta-arde-un-estudio-revelo-que-la-temperatura-media-del-planeta-superara-los-15-c-antes-de-2030/)
These blooms have affected fishing, tourism, and industrial infrastructure, causing inconveniences for various economic activities.
## Resistance in extreme environments
In addition to thriving in warmer waters, jellyfish have advantages over other species when faced with problems such as:
– Ocean acidification.
– Reduction in dissolved oxygen.
While fish and crustaceans see their survival possibilities limited in these hostile environments, jellyfish adapt and expand, displacing other marine organisms.
## Overfishing also favors their growth
The massive exploitation of predatory species, such as sardines and anchovies, reduces competition for jellyfish, allowing them to occupy vacant ecological niches.
In areas where fishing has decreased drastically, it has been observed how jellyfish have taken the lead, altering marine dynamics.
## Impacts on industry and the ecosystem
Massive jellyfish blooms can cause:
– Obstruction of fishing nets.
– Interference with water intakes of thermoelectric plants and desalination plants.
– Modification of the food cycle, competing with fish larvae for plankton.
## Scientific monitoring and early warning systems
Organizations such as the [Institute of Marine Sciences and Limnology (UNAM)](https://noticiasambientales.com/medio-ambiente/el-coral-sol-la-especie-invasora-que-amenaza-los-ecosistemas-marinos-en-brasil-desde-hace-decadas/), [NOAA](https://noticiasambientales.com/medio-ambiente/el-coral-sol-la-especie-invasora-que-amenaza-los-ecosistemas-marinos-en-brasil-desde-hace-decadas/), and [Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO)](https://noticiasambientales.com/medio-ambiente/el-coral-sol-la-especie-invasora-que-amenaza-los-ecosistemas-marinos-en-brasil-desde-hace-decadas/) have begun to monitor jellyfish populations as indicators of marine health.
While jellyfish are not responsible for oceanic imbalance, their constant increase is a clear warning that the seas are transforming.
In this sense, they have become silent watchers, floating in the vastness of the ocean, luminous and difficult to ignore.
