wexford
thechronicle
July 20, 2021 t: 0539102441, www.thechronicle.ie
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Jellyfish warning
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Swimmers told to be vigilant as numbers increase Swimmers in Wexford have been warned “to be vigilant” and to keep an eye out for for the Lion’s Mane jellyfish (right) while bathing. Bathers have been told that it is “peak season” for the species to wash up here and to report to a lifeguard if stung by the jellyfish. The jellyfish is a rust colour and can be up to one metre long, have 150 long tentacles on the bottom which can give off a nasty sting that is known for great pain, nausea, cramps
and headaches, according to the HSE. The Lion’s Mane is the largest species of jellyfish in the world and can sting even after they’ve died with reports of several of them being washed up on Irish coasts in recent weeks. Meanwhile, swarms of Moon Jellies have also been reported along our shores. “There are nine species of jellyfish normally found in Irish waters…some with mild stings such as the Moon Jellies, and some with quite severe
stings such as the Lion’s Mane Jellyfish which is regularly spotted off the East Coast,” Pat Ó Súilleabháin General Manager of SEA LIFE Aquarium in Bray told the Wexford Chronicle. “Recent years have seen increase sightings of swarms of jellyfish, not just locally, but also globally. “There are any number of reasons for this: (i) increased sea and ocean temperatures leading to increased reproduction and longer periods of reproduction;
(ii) more man-made structures on- and off-shore providing more anchor points for the polyps (baby jellyfish); (iii) overfishing leading to a reduction in the number of natural predators, as well as less competition for plankton (their main food source); (iv) Low oxygen environments caused by agricultural, animal waste and sewage runoff favour jellyfish survival and growth.” Continued on page 8
Cllr Barbara Anne Murphy from Bunclody who was elected Chairperson of Wexford County Council