JELLYFISH WARNING

The director of investigation for OCEANA, Ricardo Aguilar, warned yesterday that there is a very high probability that over the next few months we will see largest concentrations of jellyfish that we have over recent years.

So far, a ‘plague' of jellyfish has invaded the waters along the Costa del Sol leading to sections of beaches being closed off and thousands of people being treated for stings.

Warm currents “The warm currents are attracting the jellyfish to the coast and the lack of rain means that the water level in the rivers is very low,” Aguilar explained.

Which means that there is insufficient water being released from the rivers into the sea to push the jellyfish away from the coast. “Also, jellyfish do not like natural water and that is not helping either,” he added.
What is more, the warm currents being recorded this summer are pulling the jellyfish closer to the coast and into bathing water areas.
The largest sightings of jellyfish so far this summer have been reported off the coast of the Balearics and Catalonia and now they will begin to spread south as the water temperature warms up.

And, Aguilar said that over the past few decades, the climate has been increasingly conducive for the spread and growth of the and jellyfish population in the Mediterranean.

But, while they are a pain for swimmers, jellyfish do play a very important role in the marine ecosystem.
Source of food
They are a vital source of food for turtles, for example and the growth of the jellyfish population over the past few decades has lead to the growth in the number of other marine species.

However, back in dry land, if you are stung by a jellyfish, seek immediate attention from the numerous lifeguard and first aid centres on the beaches this summer.