Yesterday I went to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. It had a really nice jellyfish display, and that is the justification I have for writing about jellyfish on a desert-themed blog.
Jellyfish are really strange and fascinating creatures. They have been alive since the time before the dinosaurs and still survive today. They have managed this because of their extreme adaptability and capability to live in many habitats that other fish and animals have trouble surviving in. Especially in the beginnings of climate change, the jellyfish are thriving. They love warmer water, so as the oceans heat up, their range of habitat is spreading. Fishing also removes their natural predators, giving them the opportunity for a population boom. Jellyfish can also live in dead zones- areas with little to no oxygen. They are pretty much the only animals able to survive in those areas. One very astounding species-Turritopsis nutricula- is essentially immortal. Its common name is, predictably, the Immortal Jellyfish. The Immortal Jellyfish return to the polyp stage after reproduction, eternally growing old and becoming young again. It is really incredible.
Jellyfish are very diverse in their appearance. They take many different forms and colors, but all are very eerily beautiful and serene. Some even glow, a property called bioluminescence.
Unlike the other creatures most closely related to them (coral, anemones), jellyfish have some control over their movement. They can't move side to side, and mostly drift with the current. They don't have brains or hearts.
In some places, jellyfish have a place in cuisine, but other times they are a bother to some fishermen, clogging nets and blocking ships in places where they are thick.
Everything before this is pretty much solid fact, but now I am going to lapse into a bit of opinion. One thing they are doing with jellyfish is taking some of the genes and splicing it into crops to try to create healthier foods. I know food producers think this is a good idea, but I personally think that things are a certain way for a reason, and it usually ends badly when we try to change that. And in countries where they are not required to label GM foods, we have no idea what we're eating! It's taking away our right to choose what we want to support and consume. People are fighting for this law in the U.S., but progress is slow, and there is fierce opposition.
Anyways, sorry about that little rant space! You're entitled to disagree if you want.
So, jellyfish are pretty cool! I hope I taught you something in here, and if you want to see more interesting facts and get more in depth about jellyfish, you can go to Jellyfish Facts, web address
http://www.jellyfishfacts.net/
Jellyfish are really strange and fascinating creatures. They have been alive since the time before the dinosaurs and still survive today. They have managed this because of their extreme adaptability and capability to live in many habitats that other fish and animals have trouble surviving in. Especially in the beginnings of climate change, the jellyfish are thriving. They love warmer water, so as the oceans heat up, their range of habitat is spreading. Fishing also removes their natural predators, giving them the opportunity for a population boom. Jellyfish can also live in dead zones- areas with little to no oxygen. They are pretty much the only animals able to survive in those areas. One very astounding species-Turritopsis nutricula- is essentially immortal. Its common name is, predictably, the Immortal Jellyfish. The Immortal Jellyfish return to the polyp stage after reproduction, eternally growing old and becoming young again. It is really incredible.
Jellyfish are very diverse in their appearance. They take many different forms and colors, but all are very eerily beautiful and serene. Some even glow, a property called bioluminescence.
Unlike the other creatures most closely related to them (coral, anemones), jellyfish have some control over their movement. They can't move side to side, and mostly drift with the current. They don't have brains or hearts.
In some places, jellyfish have a place in cuisine, but other times they are a bother to some fishermen, clogging nets and blocking ships in places where they are thick.
Everything before this is pretty much solid fact, but now I am going to lapse into a bit of opinion. One thing they are doing with jellyfish is taking some of the genes and splicing it into crops to try to create healthier foods. I know food producers think this is a good idea, but I personally think that things are a certain way for a reason, and it usually ends badly when we try to change that. And in countries where they are not required to label GM foods, we have no idea what we're eating! It's taking away our right to choose what we want to support and consume. People are fighting for this law in the U.S., but progress is slow, and there is fierce opposition.
Anyways, sorry about that little rant space! You're entitled to disagree if you want.
So, jellyfish are pretty cool! I hope I taught you something in here, and if you want to see more interesting facts and get more in depth about jellyfish, you can go to Jellyfish Facts, web address
http://www.jellyfishfacts.net/
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