At first glance, jellyfish may seem like peculiar beasts, confined to exotic worlds - but think again. Jellyfish sightings in the UK have gone up by 32% in the past year alone. “Why is this?”, you may be asking, How does it affect us? Is it necessarily a bad thing?
The increase in jellyfish population along UK shores is commonly perceived as a result of climate change, which causes rising sea temperatures. This means jellyfish can expand their habitats far northwards in areas that used to be too cold for them to inhibit, particularly now after the marine heatwave in June, which caused ocean temperatures to rise by 3-4%.
Living in London, you may shrug the topic aside, assuming that jellyfish won’t be able to get to you. Admittedly, that is true to some extent, but simply because they can’t physically get to you doesn’t mean that they can’t greatly impact your life. For example, jellyfish can disrupt coastal energy plants and leave many homes without power for days on end. For example, a jellyfish clogged up the water colling system in Scotland’s Torness nuclear plant, causing it to shut down for 2 days! Additionally, jellyfish can also disrupt marine ecosystems and pose a threat to humans, both of which can make British beaches less appealing and cause decline in the booming tourism industry.
However, are they really as bad as they seem? Most jellyfish currently living in the UK are harmless to humans, but can cause some painful stings. However, these stings do not cause any further harm and can be easily treated, with next to no chance of death.
Furthermore, perhaps we could even capitalise on the power that jellyfish have to offer, and harness them to use in innovative ways. For example, jellyfish are completely edible and can be a great source of food for people and a source of income for many others. Moreover, we can use jellyfish for medical purposes - with their unique capabilities and nutrients, and some species being considered immortal, while others can be potentially useful for creating artificial skin and blood vessels. Other suggested applications include ocean research, and filtering out plastic from the seas.
In conclusion, the jellyfish are definitely coming to the UK, and there’s not much we can do about it. However, the choice between accepting the damage and harnessing their full potential is completely in our hands.
