This week in jellyfish

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Re: This week in jellyfish

Postby wintler2 » Mon Nov 01, 2010 4:48 am

There is a wonderful location-location-location irony in the seas turning hostile: all those rich folks huddled along the coasts will have excellent views of the super-storms and jellyfish swarms coming from the plastic-barren, unswimable seas their (and our, and my) lifestyles have created.
"Wintler2, you are a disgusting example of a human being, the worst kind in existence on God's Earth. This is not just my personal judgement.." BenD

Research question: are all god botherers authoritarians?
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Re: This week in jellyfish

Postby Jeff » Mon Nov 15, 2010 3:21 pm

Thousands Of Jellyfish Litter SF's Ocean Beach

November 15, 2010

SAN FRANCISCO -- A pounding surf may have been the culprit that lead to tens of thousands of jellyfish washing up on San Francisco's Ocean Beach Saturday, according to national park officials.

"There was a large swell overnight that may have been responsible," National Park Service spokesman George Durgerian said.

Durgerian was incredulous at the sight of the jellyfish. He said he's only seen an incident like this once before.

"It was huge, like a cobblestone walkway made of jellyfish," he said.

Jellyfish packed a section of beach stretching about three miles long and 20 feet wide. It was easily seen between Pacheco and Lawton streets.

...

He said there was no planned cleanup or rescue for the jellyfish.

http://www.ktvu.com/news/25787487/detai ... _cntnt_rss
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Re: This week in jellyfish

Postby justdrew » Mon Nov 22, 2010 7:24 pm

the rise of RoboJelly (AquaJelly )
By 1964 there were 1.5 million mobile phone users in the US
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Re: This week in jellyfish

Postby Jeff » Fri Dec 03, 2010 11:59 am

Jellyfish are taking over the oceans: Population surge as rising acidity of world's seas kills predators

By David Derbyshire
Last updated at 12:57 PM on 3rd December 2010

Britain's beaches could soon be inundated with records numbers of jellyfish, marine experts warned today.

Scientists say the number of jellyfish are on the rise thanks to the increasing acidity of the world’s oceans.

The warning comes in a new report into ocean acidification – an often overlooked side effect of burning fossil fuel.

Studies have shown that higher levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere doesn’t just trigger climate change but can make the oceans more acid.

Since the start of the industrial revolution, acidity levels of the oceans have gone up 30 per cent, marine biologists say.

The new report, published by the UN Environment Programme during the Climate Change talks in Cancun, Mexico, warns that the acidification of oceans makes it harder for coral reefs and shellfish to form skeletons – threatening larger creatures that depend on them for food.

The decline in creatures with shells could trigger an explosion in jellyfish populations.

The report, written by Dr Carol Turley of Plymouth University, said: ‘Ocean acidification has also been tentatively linked to increased jellyfish numbers and changes in fish abundance.’

Jellyfish are immune to the effects of acidification. As other species decline, jellyfish will move in to fill the ecological niche.

...

‘The basic chemistry of sea water is being altered on a scale unseen within fossil records over at least 20 million years,’ the report said.

Oceans are naturally alkaline – and had a pH level of about 8.2 in 1750. Since the industrial revolution, the acidity has increased by 30 per cent.

...

‘If we continue at this rate, the ocean pH will decline by a further 0.3 by the end of this century, an unprecedented 150 per cent increase in ocean acidity,’ the report states.

‘This rate of change has not been experienced for around 65 million years, since the dinosaurs became extinct.’

...


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/ ... ators.html
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Re: This week in jellyfish

Postby Laodicean » Tue Jan 11, 2011 9:43 pm

Image

'Pink Meanie' a Jellyfish Like No Other

Jan. 10, 2011 -- Meet the "pink meanie," a new species of jellyfish discovered by scientists at Dauphin Island Sea Lab and the University of California, Merced.

...

On the surface, this brightly colored jellyfish may not appear to be particularly extraordinary. According to DNA and morphological analysis, however, this marine animal, Drymonema larsoni, is not only a new species of jellyfish, but also a new family.

Found in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, the pink meanie is the first new scyphozoan family discovered since 1921.

"It's rare that something like this could escape the notice of scientific research for so long," Keith Bayha, a scientist at at Dauphin Island Sea Lab, said in a press release.

"That it did is partially due to Drymonema's extreme rarity almost everywhere in the world."

This new research adds to the growing body of evidence that jellyfish species are more diverse than once believed. Since jellyfish can appear quite similar on the surface, it was once thought that only a handful of jellyfish species spread across the oceans.

Given the degree of variety among jellyfish, the responses of individual species to environmental pressures, such as climate change, is likely to be equally complex.

The pink meanie currently appears on the cover of the journal Biological Bulletin.


http://news.discovery.com/animals/jelly ... pgn=fbdsc9
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Re: This week in jellyfish

Postby Stephen Morgan » Wed Jan 12, 2011 3:19 pm

Everywhere I go just lately,
jellyfish are spreading strawberry jam on bread and handing it to me
Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that all was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes, and make it possible. -- Lawrence of Arabia
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Re: This week in jellyfish

Postby matrixdutch » Tue May 31, 2011 1:35 pm

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/05/30/florid ... index.html

Jellyfish put sting into holiday weekend at some Florida beaches

CNN) -- Hundreds of people trying to enjoy the Memorial Day weekend on Atlantic beaches in central Florida encountered an unwelcome surprise: swarms of purplish, stinging jellyfish.

More than 800 people at beaches from Cocoa Beach to Cape Canaveral have been stung, Brevard County Ocean Rescue officials said.

Assistant Chief Eisen Witcher said the reports began coming in Friday, but as the Memorial Day weekend got into full swing, the numbers increased dramatically.

"Saturday, we got about 200 reports. Sunday, we got another 250," he said.

All weekend long, countless numbers of jellyfish washed up on shores, standing out against the sand due to their distinctive hue.

"They're very visible because of their color," Witcher said. "They come in large amounts, very large groups."

Witcher said Brevard County shores are more familiar with Portuguese man o' war and cannonball jellyfish, not this current species, which he said he believes are called mauve stingers.

"This time of year, this can happen when the conditions are perfect for jellyfish to wash up. You have an onshore breeze combined with an east swell."

The stings cause itching, burning and rashes and can sometimes spur an allergic reaction.

Although none of the stings was believed to be serious, officials said two people who were stung were taken to hospitals after suffering from respiratory distress. It was unclear whether the distress was directly caused by the sting or came from a pre-existing medical condition.

"Most of the stings are being reported on the ankles, but others have been getting it on the chest, arms, you name it," Witcher said.

He said victims were being treated by a vinegar solution stocked at the various lifeguard stations.

"We have that solution there at all times, but we knew that we were going to have a lot of people out here this weekend," Witcher said. "These jellyfish are not a major threat, but they are annoying."
Our truth consists of illusions that we have forgotten are illusions - Nietzsche
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Re: This week in jellyfish

Postby elfismiles » Wed Jun 01, 2011 8:45 pm


1,600-plus Florida beachgoers stung by jellyfish, county officials say
By Vivian Kuo, CNN / May 31, 2011 5:17 p.m. EDT

Image
A swarm of purplish, stinging jellyfish is washed up on Cocoa Beach, Florida, on Saturday.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

* The jellyfish are visitors to central Florida's Atlantic beaches
* They congregated in a 10-mile stretch off the coast of Brevard County
* The mauve stinger jellyfish are small but "pretty potent," scientist says


(CNN) -- More than 1,600 people within a 10-mile stretch of central Florida's Atlantic beaches have been stung in the past week by a distinctive species of jellyfish not indigenous to North America, a rescue official said Tuesday.

Brevard County Ocean Rescue officials said they began flying warning flags at beaches from Cocoa Beach to Cape Canaveral last Tuesday, indicating either a medium or high hazard, along with another flag indicating dangerous marine life.

"From last Wednesday to Friday, we got about 600 reports. Saturday to (Tuesday), we got another thousand," Chief Jeff Scabarozi said.

Monty Graham, a scientist at Alabama's Dauphin Island Sea Lab, said the jellyfish appear to be what are known as mauve stingers, a species that often blooms in response to small climate cycles like El Niño.

"The interesting thing about these jellyfish is that they're very sporadic. They occur in heavy numbers, but not every year," he said.

Graham said the last time he had seen such a widespread outbreak in the United States was more than a decade ago. "They're much more common in the Mediterranean," he said. "Probably what we're seeing is a large population bloom in the Gulf of Mexico transported by the Gulf Stream wrapping around the coast of Florida."

All weekend long, countless numbers of jellyfish washed up on shores, standing out against the sand due to their characteristic purplish-reddish hue.

Graham said that although mauve stingers are smaller and much less familiar than the Portuguese man o' war and cannonball jellyfish that often wash up on Florida shores, the ruddy-colored animal can pack a punch.

"While they might be small, they're actually pretty potent. And unlike the others, these animals actually have stinging cells up on the top of their bells in addition to the stingers on their tentacles, which is uncommon."

When stung, mauve stinger victims may see a discoloration on their skin where contact was made, Graham said. "These guys will leave actual marks on you sometimes. It may stay with you for quite some time, but over time it will go away."

The stings cause itching, burning and rashes and can sometimes spur an allergic reaction. Although none of the stings reported in Brevard County was believed to be serious, officials said two people who were stung were taken to hospitals after suffering from respiratory distress. It was unclear whether the distress was directly caused by the stings or came from a pre-existing medical condition.

Most victims were being treated by a vinegar solution stocked at the various lifeguard stations.

Despite the abundance of visible jellyfish in the water, many trying to enjoy the Memorial Day weekend took their chances -- and suffered the repercussions.

"We've already gone through about 25 gallons of vinegar. Even so, a lot of people didn't go into the water," Scabarozi said. "I just want to know when they're going to leave."

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/05/31/florida.jellyfish/

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Re: This week in jellyfish

Postby coffin_dodger » Thu Jun 30, 2011 9:36 am

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-e ... e-13971005

Both reactors at the Torness nuclear power station have been shut down after huge numbers of jellyfish were found in the sea water entering the plant.

The jellyfish were found obstructing cooling water filters on Tuesday.

The East Lothian plant's operator, EDF Energy, said the shutdown was a precautionary measure and there was never any danger to the public.

A clean-up operation is under way, but it is understood it could be next week before Torness is operational again.

Torness has two Advanced Gas Cooled Reactors but also relies on supplies of sea water to ensure it operates safely.

It has filters which are designed to prevent seaweed and marine animals entering the cooling system.

There are no radiological aspects associated with this event and there has been no impact to the environment”

If these screens become clogged, the reactors are shut down to comply with safety procedures.

An EDF spokesman told BBC Scotland: "At no time was there any danger to the public. There are no radiological aspects associated with this event and there has been no impact to the environment."

Staff at the plant took the decision to shut down the reactors on Tuesday afternoon.

It is not known why there are so many jellyfish in the area.
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Re: This week in jellyfish

Postby Canadian_watcher » Thu Jun 30, 2011 9:47 am

:shock:

that's quite a story! thanks for sharing it, probably never ever would have heard of it otherwise.

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When a true genius appears, you can know him by this sign: that all the dunces are in a confederacy against him. -- Jonathan Swift
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Re: This week in jellyfish

Postby matrixdutch » Tue Jul 12, 2011 6:23 am

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/177027/ ... wth-tr.htm

A nuclear reactor in Japan was forced to shut down due to infiltration of enormous swarms of jellyfish near the power plant.

A similar incident was also reported recently in Israel when millions of jellyfish clogged down the sea-water cooling system of a power plant located there.

Such massive invasions of the species have scientists are trying to figure out the reason behind such unusual growing trends.

"The several [power plant] incidents that happened recently aren't enough to indicate a global pattern. They certainly could be coincidental," Monty Graham, a jellyfish biologist and senior marine scientist at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab off the Gulf Coast of Alabama stating, told LiveScience.

Recent studies have found out that jellyfish blooming occurs mostly during the summer and spring months
.
Our truth consists of illusions that we have forgotten are illusions - Nietzsche
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Re: This week in jellyfish

Postby Jeff » Sat Jul 30, 2011 10:58 pm

Not this week, but just noticed it:

Sons of Blackwater Open Corporate Spying Shop

By Spencer Ackerman
May 12, 2011

Veterans from the most infamous private security firm on Earth and one of the military’s most controversial datamining operations are teaming up to provide the Fortune 500 with their own private spies.

Take one part Blackwater, and another part Able Danger, the military data-mining op that claimed to have identified members of al-Qaida living in the United States before 9/11. Put ‘em together, and you’ve got a new company called Jellyfish.

Jellyfish is about corporate-information dominance. It swears it’s leaving all the spy-world baggage behind. No guns, no governments digging through private records of its citizens.

“Our organization is not going to be controversial,” pledges Keith Mahoney, the Jellyfish CEO, a former Navy officer and senior executive with Blackwater’s intelligence arm, Total Intelligence Solutions. Try not to make a joke about corporate mercenaries.

His partners know from controversy. Along with Mahoney, there’s Michael Yorio, the executive vice president for business development and another Blackwater vet; Yorio recently prepped the renamed Xe Services for its life after founder Erik Prince sold it.

Jellyfish’s chief technology officer is J.D. Smith, who was part of Able Danger until lawyers for the U.S. Special Operations Command shut the program down in 2000. Also from Able Danger is Tony Shaffer, Jellyfish’s “military operations adviser” and the ex-Defense Intelligence Agency operative who became the public face of the program in dramatic 2005 congressional testimony.

But Jellyfish isn’t about merging mercenaries with data sifters. And it’s not about going after short money like government contracts. (Although, the firm is based in D.C., where the intel community is and the titans of corporate America aren’t.)

During a Thursday press conference in Washington that served as a coming-out party for the company, Jellyfish’s executives described an all-purpose “private-sector intelligence” firm.

...

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/05 ... -business/
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Re: This week in jellyfish

Postby crikkett » Sun Jul 31, 2011 10:40 am

Jeff wrote:Not this week, but just noticed it:

Sons of Blackwater Open Corporate Spying Shop

By Spencer Ackerman
May 12, 2011
...

During a Thursday press conference in Washington that served as a coming-out party for the company, Jellyfish’s executives described an all-purpose “private-sector intelligence” firm.

...

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/05 ... -business/


I hope Anonymous flays them and quickly.
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Re:

Postby marycarnival » Mon Aug 01, 2011 3:49 am

American Dream wrote:
Image

Peanut Butter and Jellyfish Sandwiches, and more, at:

http://www.deependdining.com/2007/03/al ... me-pb.html


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Re: This week in jellyfish

Postby eyeno » Mon Aug 01, 2011 5:00 am

marycarnival,

i'm not sure how you pulled that off, but i have abiding respect for ya...
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