Our oceans are becoming increasingly inhospitable
to life - growing toxicity and rising temperatures
coupled with overfishing have led many marine species to
the brink of collapse. And yet there is one creature
that is thriving in this seasick environment: the
beautiful, dangerous, and now incredibly numerous
jellyfish. As foremost jellyfish expert Lisa-ann
Gershwin describes in "Stung!", the jellyfish population
bloom is highly indicative of the tragic state of the
world's ocean waters, while also revealing the
incredible tenacity of these remarkable creatures.
Recent documentaries about swarms of jellyfish invading
Japanese fishing grounds and headlines about armadas of
stinging jellyfish in the Chesapeake are only the
beginning - jellyfish are truly taking over the oceans.
Despite their often dazzling appearance, jellyfish are
simple creatures with simple needs: namely, fewer
predators and competitors, warmer waters to encourage
rapid growth, and more places for their larvae to settle
and grow. In general, oceans that are less favorable to
fish are more favorable to jellyfish, and these are the
very conditions that we are creating worldwide. Despite
their role as harbingers of marine destruction,
jellyfish are enthralling creatures in their own right,
and in "Stung!", Gershwin tells stories of jellyfish
while illuminating many facts about their behaviors and
environmental adaptations. She takes readers back to the
Proterozoic era, when jellyfish were the top predator in
the marine ecosystem and she explores the role jellies
have as middlemen of destruction, moving swiftly into
vulnerable ecosystems. The story of the jellyfish, as
Gershwin makes clear, is also the story of the world's
oceans, and "Stung!" provides a unique and urgent look
at their inseparable histories-and future.
|
|