Northern Sea Nettle Jellyfish Die-Off

Observation: When Jasmine and I went for a walk on the Sand Point Spit Beach with our Project Officer, we noticed a lot of jelly fish washed up on shore. Once we reached the end of the beach by the runway, there was a big group of jellyfish, most looked dead. The tribe observed a posting about jelly fish die off and we were wondering how this can affect our community.

Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program (MAP) Consult. Melissa Good, Map Agent in Unalaska writes, "We have noticed a number of jellyfish washing ashore here in Unalaska, but nothing like what is pictured. From the pictures, these look to be northern sea nettles (Chrysaora melanaster). It is likely a natural die-off,but I would take care not to touch them because they can still sting after death." (University of Alaska Fairbanks)

Media:

Alaska Dispatch News, (2016-09-30) Masses of jellyfish is not unusual, says NOAA scientist, "A jellyfish graveyard that settled on the beach of Clam Gulch last week proved a peculiar sight for some locals and prompted curious phone calls to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game." Author: Megan Edge

The Redoubt Reporter, (2014-10-08) Jellies belly up &mdash Life's no beach for jellyfish washing ashore in large die-off, "This isn’t particularly out of the ordinary for jellyfish, but two things did strike her as odd. The surface temperatures were higher than average — as much as 5 degrees above average by some estimates — and many of the jellyfish she was seeing were already beginning to die." By Joseph Robertia

National Oceanography Centre, (2014-10-15) Importance of dead jellyfish to deep-sea ecosystems, "Dead jellyfish contribute to the deep-sea food chain, unlike previously thought, innovative experiments show." Source: ScienceDaily (Retrieved August 15, 2016)