Marine Life & Conservation
Top-spotted jellyfish in UK revealed in new MCS report
To mark World Jellyfish Day on the 3rd November last week, the Marine Conservation Society released its first Wildlife Sightings report, publishing last year’s findings from its long-running citizen science project.
The project asks the public to report jellyfish and marine turtle sightings in and around the UK and Ireland’s shores. The charity collects and analyses reports of these species to identify trends in their distribution around the UK. Changes in when and where marine wildlife are spotted can help understand how the ocean is changing in response to environmental factors, like climate change.
Photo: Jonathan Smith
Between 1st October 2021 and 30th September 2022, there were a total of 1,315 jellyfish sightings reported to the Marine Conservation Society. The charity regularly records sightings of eight jellyfish species which are found around the UK and Ireland. More uncommon visitors were also spotted in our waters, with 11 species in total reported in the past year.
The compass jellyfish (pictured) was the most reported species, making up almost a quarter (23%) of total sightings. This was followed closely by moon jellyfish (also 23%), which were often seen in smacks (groups of jellyfish) of over 100.
Storms in October 2021 and February 2022 led to an increase in Portuguese Man O’ War sightings, which were up by 2% from the previous year. Although they have a bad reputation, these jellyfish-like creatures don’t normally occur in UK waters, preferring instead to drift in the open ocean.
Photo: Joanna Clegg – MCS
Sightings of these unusual visitors were primarily along the Southwest coast and the west coast of Scotland, with westerly winds carrying them across the Atlantic to our shores. Sometimes stranding at the same time was the violet sea snail, which floats on the surface in bubble rafts, feeding on Portuguese Man O’ Wars.
The charity saw an increase in ‘other’ species reported, up from 5% to 9% this year. Among these were the bioluminescent crystal jellyfish, which made up 3% of total sightings and sea gooseberries at 1% – the highest percentages reported to date.
Photo: Peter Bardsley – MCS
Tracking reports of ‘other’ species, like these, could show how changes in temperatures might be impacting jellyfish diversity in the UK.
Crystal jellyfish are usually found in the Pacific Ocean, rarely spotted in UK waters, suggesting that warmer temperatures may be impacting jellyfish diversity in the UK.
Jellyfish are especially appealing for marine turtles, which visit UK waters in the summer months to feed on them. 11 turtles were also reported, six of which were live leatherback turtles, spotted on the coast of Scotland. Leatherbacks are the largest turtle species with a diet mainly consisting of jellyfish.
Photo: Peter Bardsley – MCS
Amy Pilsbury, Citizen Science Project Lead at the Marine Conservation Society, said:
“We use these sightings, alongside scientists, to spot trends in the distribution of jellyfish and marine turtles around the UK. Investigating the relationships between species can help us to discover more about our amazing underwater world and how it might be changing in response to things like climate change. A huge thank you to everyone who reported their sightings – with more reports we’re able to understand even more about our ocean.”
The charity’s Wildlife Sightings report includes a map of all reported jellyfish and turtle sightings, a breakdown of each jellyfish species reported, a map of Portuguese Man O’ War sightings, and the number of sightings reported each month.
The Wildlife Sightings turtle data will contribute to the Turtle Implementation Group’s annual ‘British & Irish Marine Turtle Strandings Report‘, of which the Marine Conservation Society is a lead partner, which will be released in March 2023.
The Marine Conservation Society continues to run its wildlife sightings project to see what happens to the distribution and frequency of mass jellyfish blooms over time and will be celebrating its 20th year of the national jellyfish survey in 2023.
The charity is encouraging the public to continue to report any species they see, with some visiting our shores in winter months. The data will help to explore any links jellyfish blooms have with big-picture factors such as climate change. Long-term datasets, like this one, can also help predict where jellyfish blooms may occur to ease the problems large blooms cause the marine industries.
For more information on the Wildlife Sightings project including the full report and to report a jellyfish or turtle sighting, please visit the Marine Conservation Society’s website: www.mcsuk.org.
Header image: Kirsty Andrews – MCS
After a two-year tour of UK art galleries, community spaces and aquariums, the Shark Trust’s acclaimed Oceanic31 exhibition takes its final bow at the Royal Geographical Society later this month. And the unique collection of artwork, depicting 31 species of oceanic sharks and rays, donated by 31 artists, is now open for bids from art lovers and shark enthusiasts. The online auction, launched today, will close on the 7th December at 8pm (BST). The money raised will support the Shark Trust Oceanics Programme.
People can now bid on 27 of the artworks by visiting this website:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
It is a chance to own a beautiful piece of original art and to support the Shark Trust. The timing of the auction also means that these would make a very special Christmas gift for any shark-lover.
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- Bigeye Thresher Shark by Janina Rossiter
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- Carcharodon carcharias by Jimmy Higgs
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- Croc VR 2030 by Tom Mead
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- Oceanic Whitetip by ATM
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- Silky Street by ScapaJoe
The diversity of pieces mirrors that of the sharks and rays they represent. You can bid on paintings, digital creations, sculptures, mixed media and more. You can pick your favourite artist or species of shark. Or you can select the perfect artwork to make a statement in your home or office. Whichever you choose, you will be supporting the work to protect these amazing animals.
One of the pieces of art has been selected to be auctioned live by Steve Backshall at the For the Love of Sharks event at the Royal Geographical Society in London on the 29th November. In addition to this, two further pieces will be raffled at this event, giving people a chance to win an incredible piece of shark art. For the Love of Sharks is the Shark Trust’s flagship evening. A night to celebrate sharks. Steve Backshall is the headline speaker at this event that will see other prominent shark advocates join him on stage.
Tickets for the event can be snapped up here:
https://thesharktrust.org.uk/Event/flos24
Those that would like to see the Oceanic 31 exhibition have one final chance. It is being displayed at the Pavilion at the Royal Geographic Society from 26th November until the 7th December. Entry is free.
Find out more here:
https://www.rgs.org/events/upcoming-events/oceanic-31
Paul Cox, Shark Trust CEO, Said “This exhibition has given us the opportunity to reach out to a new audience. And inspire more people with the wonderful sharks and rays on which our Big Shark Pledge campaign is based. We are immensely grateful to the 31 artists who have worked so hard to create these works.”
Bid for your favourite Oceanic 31 artwork here:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
Banner Image: Smooth Hammerhead by Alicia Hayden
Until 28 November, prizes worth a massive £10,000 – including experiences, products and tuition – feature in a line-up of items that can be won for £5 in an online prize draw to celebrate Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation’s 20th anniversary and help generate crucial funds for the future.
Top of the list of prizes is the chance to spend time with adventurer and wildlife expert Steve Backshall, a workout session with Nat Geo star Aldo Kane, a kayaking trip alongside white-water expert and diver Sal Montgomery and a Zoom call with ‘shark whisperer’ Cristina Zenato.
On top of that, some of the most admired companies in the diving and scuba industry have been quick to support the charity with fabulous prizes that make the £5 ticket price worth more than just a flutter.
Master Liveaboards, BSAC, Midlands Diving Chamber, Go Freediving and Blue Shark Snorkel have all generously donated experience prizes, while celebrated photographer Alex Mustard has donated a print and artists Scott Gleed and Olivier Leger have donated a sculpture and illustration to help boost the fundraising pot.
Fourth Element has donated Ocean Positive gear and LA watch company Nodus has gifted the charity a stunning dive watch. For land lovers, the charity has included a five star London hotel stay at Bankside Hotel plus a family visit to Longleat Safari Park in the roster of prizes.
Campaign director for Bite-Back, Graham Buckingham, said: “We’ve been overwhelmed with support from companies and individuals that we truly admire and who have supported us on our 20 year journey and we’re truly grateful to them all. While we feel incredibly proud of our achievements over the past two decades – and we are super excited about the next chapter – this prize draw isn’t a vanity project. It represents a real lifeline to our work and important advancements in the global protection of sharks. So we hope divers, dive clubs and even bargain hunters grab some tickets to make this a massive success.”
The charity hopes that the prize draw will generate crucial funds to launch a brand new, ground-breaking, campaign to enrol the public and increase support for the protection of sharks around the world.
To enter the competition visit www.bite-back.com/prizedraw. The prize winners will be announced on 1 December 2024.
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