Memorial Day vacationers warned to be wary of tiny 'clinging jellyfish' invading Jersey Shore waters that have 'lethal toxin'
- A bloom of roughly 200 to 300 clinging jellyfish have been found in the New Jersey waters, according to Professor Paul Bologna of Montclair State
- Bologna and the students are working with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) to determine the location of the jellyfish
- The educator - known in some circles as 'professor jellyfish' - hopes to use the information to relay to vacationers where to swim during the holiday
- Jellyfish hide in dark grassy areas of water and are smaller than a half-inch
- They don't swim, but instead attach to vessels in the water and are known to cling top vegetation
- The jellyfish have 60-90 tentacles that contain the nematocysts or stinging cells
Scientists are warning visitors to the Jersey Shore this Memorial Day weekend to watch out for toxic jellyfish said to be invading the waters.
A bloom of roughly 200 to 300 clinging jellyfish have been found in the New Jersey waters, according to Professor Paul Bologna of Montclair State and a group of his students.
'We've just pulled algae and what we're trying to look for is something called clinging jellyfish,' Elias Chalet, a biology major at the school, explained to CBS New York. 'The reason we're trying to look for it is because they have a very lethal toxin.'
A bloom of roughly 200 to 300 clinging jellyfish have been found in the New Jersey waters
Professor Paul Bologna of Montclair State (pictured) and the students are working with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) to determine the location of the jellyfish
Bologna and the students are working with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) to determine where the jellyfish are most populated.
The educator - known in some circles as 'professor jellyfish' - hopes to use the information to relay to vacationers where to swim during the holiday and hence forth.
He stated: 'They carry these paralysis toxins that cause your muscles to tense up. They use those to catch fish so the fish don't run away, but it also causes intense pain.'
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The jellyfish hide in dark grassy areas of water and are smaller than a half-inch. They don't swim, but instead attach to vessels in the water and are known to cling to vegetation
Brick councilman Paul Mummolo is helping the group spread the word about the dangerous jellyfish.
'A lot of our beaches, our bay beaches, it's important to educate the people on these clinging jellyfish… where they are so that something doesn't happen,' Mummolo said.
The jellyfish hide in dark grassy areas of water and are smaller than a half-inch. They don't swim, but instead attach to vessels in the water and are known to cling to vegetation. The jellyfish have 60-90 tentacles that contain the nematocysts or stinging cells. Clinging jellyfish do tend to feed on small marine animals, at night, but have been spotted in the day time.
In New Jersey, they were first found in the Shrewsbury River in 2016 and spread to the Metedeconk River.
The DEP has a map dedicated to tracking clusters of clinging jellyfish blooms in the state.
The jellyfish have 60-90 tentacles that contain the nematocysts or stinging cells. Clinging jellyfish do tend to feed on small marine animals, at night, but have been spotted in the day time
