Sea Nettles in the Barnegat Bay

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http://mrwriteon.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/sea-nettle.jpg ( Photo Link)

Sea nettles have always been a part of the Barnegat Bay’s ecosystem; their apparent increase in abundance is a relatively recent phenomenon. A number of potential causes for this increase have been suggested by scientists. Increased development around the bay, including bulkheads, pilings, and floating docks, may be providing more places for the scyphistoma to attach. Changes in the bay’s salinity may also have an effect. Sea nettles prefer a lower salinity zone, so large-scale natural changes in salinity, such as dry years, may affect their abundance and distribution in the bay.

Scientific evidence is beginning to link increasing sea nettle populations with eutrophication. Eutrophication decreases the amount of dissolved oxygen in the system. When oxygen levels are low, predator fish that would normally prey on Jellyfish swim to waters with more oxygen. Also, the fish would under normal circumstances compete for food with the sea nettles. Since there is less competition for food the sea nettles eat more and the population increases. Sea nettles are a very tolerant species, meaning that they can survive despite some changes to their environment. As long as the water remains warm enough, these jellies can “out compete” many species if dissolved oxygen in the water becomes too low. As their populations grow the ecosystems can be severely damaged.

If this continues on the bay may become so filled with these sea nettles that it may be too dangerous to swim in. There is a way to raise awareness of the dangers of dumping toxins in to the bay and hopefully prevent further growth of Sea Nettles. “The Barnegat Bay Partnership is one of 28 congressionally designated National Estuary Programs throughout the United States working to improve the health of nationally significant estuaries. The program is sponsored by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders, and Ocean County College.”