Hundreds of jellyfish are washing up all across Cumbria’s coastline.
Everything from large barrel jellyfish to tiny bioluminescent sea gooseberries have been spotted over the past few weeks on beaches, as well as in harbours and ports.
While it is normal to spot jellyfish at this time of year – there has been an increase in the number of them appearing on our shores.
Marine biologist and Kendal College lecturer Sarah Neill, 39, of Grange-Over-Sands, recently counted and reported a whopping 188 jellyfish on the beach between Roosebeck and Rampside in the South Lakes.
Sarah, who is also the region’s Sea Watch Foundation coordinator, said: “We do normally see more jellyfish blooms at this time of year because of warmer waters and better conditions.
“But the thing that is changing is the fact that we’re seeing higher numbers and more diversity of jellyfish species around our coastline. We think that is to do with climate change causing temperatures to rise worldwide.
“Jellyfish are one of those creatures that rising sea temperatures promotes their growth and reproductive rates. They’re also very good at withstanding pollution so as we’re polluting the seas and causing ocean acidification jellyfish can cope with that.
“We’re also overfishing a lot of their predators as well, so it’s a combination of climate change and human activities that are leading to an increase in jellyfish numbers on a wider scale.”
Common kinds of jellyfish living in Cumbria’s coast include barrel, compass, moon, lions mane and blue jellyfish as well as sea gooseberries which can be spotted near Barrow.
Despite the fact that some species do come with a nasty sting, Sarah said that as long as people exercise caution around them, that the sea creatures were nothing to fear.
She added: “We do have quite a few different species and the number we are seeing and diversity of species are increasing.
“Not all of them have a bad sting, the barrel jellyfish although they’re really big their sting is mild, but the compass jellyfish has a sting you would feel.
“They’re nothing to fear whatsoever, the barrel jellyfish you wouldn’t even really feel their sting. But some of them can hurt so it’s important not to touch the tentacles when you come across them on the beach.
“You don’t want your children or dogs touching their tentacles especially if you don’t know what species it is. It would be different if it was a Portuguese man o’ war, we very rarely get those on our coastline but they can cause a very serious sting.”
Particularly high numbers of barrel jellyfish have been spotted swimming around in Whitehaven harbour and over 20 were revealed by the low tide earlier today.
Dozens have also been spotted stranded on the sands at Ravenglass and St Bees beach.
Sarah added that these high numbers could bring in some more kinds sea life who use them as a food source.
She said: “Barrel jellyfish are the leatherback turtle’s favourite food. So because we’ve got all of those jellyfish coming across the Irish Sea to the Cumbrian coastline at this time of year, you could also potentially see a leatherback as they follow where the food goes.”
The marine biologist also said that if people are stung by a jellyfish they should follow NHS guidelines – and not follow the stories that urinating on a sting will cure it.
Sarah has worked in marine biology for over 10 years and lectures at the college in wildlife conservation, aquatics and marine biology and has taken on several other roles within the marine life world.
She works with British Divers Marine Life Rescue where she coordinates marine mammal rescues in Cumbria and data collection and she also coordinates for the Sea Watch Foundation and works as an expedition leader with Sea Women Expeditions.
Just last winter she went to the Arctic to swim with killer whales and collect data on their behaviour directed towards human snorkelers.
She also works for Project Wild Gambia where she leads marine expeditions to collect data on dolphins and help create an eco tourism interest in them so local people see the value in conserving them.
She has also helped set up a sustainable sea turtle hatchery in The Gambia and records sharks and rays landing at the fisheries there.
One unidentified ray her team found in the fisheries had not been seen on the planet since 1870 and was thought to be extinct.
