July 10, 2005
Dozens of jellyfish washed up along Burnham-On-Sea beach
Dozens of stranded jellyfish were washed up along Burnham-On-Sea beach at high tide on Friday and Saturday evenings – leaving paddlers to tip-toe their way around them.
The creatures, believed to be harmless Moon Jellyfish, varied in size from 6 – 20cm in width and were all transparent with umbrella-shaped bell edges.
Reports from the Marine Conservation Society suggest that jellyfish are currently appearing in much the same way as 2004, with millions of Moon Jellyfish (Aurelia aurita) swarming along the west coasts of England, Wales and Scotland.
Jellyfish are very vulnerable to changing sea temperatures and water quality, although it is not clear why the latest stranding has occurred.
Peter Richardson of the Marine Conservation Society said: “It is not clear why large numbers of some species suddenly appear in UK waters, but we expect environmental factors such as weather patterns and sea temperatures play a role.”
“The Met office has already predicted that this summer’s temperatures may be above average for south west England and north west Scotland, so it will be interesting to see how the jellyfish respond.”
The last major stranding of jellyfish in Burnham was in September 2004 when hundreds of small creatures were washed up along the Bristol Channel.
RELATED LINKS:
Jellyfish creatures washed up on Burnham beach in September 2004
Jellyfish guide [Marine Conservation Society]
