Jellyfish blooms are becoming more widespread and scientists are looking for ways to understand them better, including their impact on species like salmon that compete with them for food sources. Now, researchers at the University of British Columbia have enlisted aerial drones to track these jellyfish clusters, their behaviours, and populations in greater detail.
In this Q&A, researchers Brian Hunt, the UBC Hakai professor in oceanography, and faculty of science undergraduate student Jessica Schaub talk about what they’ve found so far with the aid of their aerial tools.
Why is it important to study jellyfish?
Jellyfish can compete with some species of salmon for food. They can also affect herring. Herring spawn in springtime and while jellyfish generally don’t bloom at that time, with warming ocean conditions the jellyfish could be starting to proliferate earlier in the season. We’ve seen one B.C. study that reported up to 95 per cent of herring larvae were eaten by jellyfish. That could hugely impact the ecology of this area.
It would also be interesting to study how jellyfish contribute to the food web, perhaps in ways we haven’t anticipated.
Continue reading at University of British Columba (UBC).
Image via University of British Columba (UBC).