Search for jellyfish this summer – help the scientists
Take the chance to help research this summer. Marine biologist Christin Appelqvist has long been concerned that jellyfish along the west coast don't seem to be doing well. Now she wants help with jellyfish reports from the public, in a new citizen science project.
"The observations we get from the public are very valuable. Scientists can't be everywhere at once, so engaging people along the coast gives us access to many more eyes," says Christin Appelqvist, a marine biologist at Tjärnö Marine Laboratory outside Strömstad.
She recently launched “Search For Jellyfish”, a citizen science project to increase knowledge about the health of jellyfish along Sweden's coasts. And there is reason to worry.
"On the west coast, for example, the common jellyfish seem to be doing badly. I've seen them dissolve and lose their ability to swim as early as midsummer. We don't know why. Researching jellyfish is difficult because they move randomly over large areas, depending on weather, currents and temperature. That's why we need help from the public."
Calls for photos of single jellyfish and of schools
The project focus on common jellyfish, but all types of jellyfish along Sweden's coasts are of interest. Christin Appelqvist wants photos of both single jellyfish and large schools, as well as reports of sudden changes - such as unusually large numbers of jellyfish or new species that are not usually present. Such observations are particularly important in climate-sensitive areas such as the Baltic Sea, where rapid changes can have major ecological consequences.
"When thousands of people help report their findings, we are more likely to discover new trends, unusual events or invasive species. This gives us a better basis for understanding these difficult-to-study organisms," she says.
To participate in "Search For Jellyfish", all you need is a mobile phone - in fact, this is the case for many citizen science projects. Thanks to apps, the internet and digital technologies, citizen science has become a global phenomenon. In biology and environmental research, it is now used as a smart way to collect large amounts of data. Platforms such as iNaturalist, Artportalen and Zooniverse have attracted millions of users worldwide.
Valuable when many participate in research
Christin Appelqvist hopes to attract schoolchildren, coastal residents and tourists to contribute. The aim is to collect a wide range of material and then apply for research funding to analyse it in more detail. But there is another major benefit of citizen science.
"Involving more people in research is valuable in itself. It increases understanding of marine ecosystems, awareness of environmental threats and the need to protect nature. It creates engagement!"
91̽: Christin Appelqvist
Text: Per Adolfsson
Use the to take photos and send them in, or upload them to the Swedish Species Observation System . Emailing directly to christin.appelqvist@gu.se is also fine. Don't forget to include the species (if you know), date and location.
It can be pictures of individuals, jellyfish in large schools, injured jellyfish, common jellyfish with a different number of rings (more or less than four), jellyfish in the polyp stage or the first medusas in spring.
Feel free to send in historical photos of jellyfish as well, but don't forget the time and place. We are also interested in jellyfish you don't recognize, which may be invasive species that are important for us to learn about.
The research focuses on common jellyfish, but we also welcome pictures of the following species:
- Lion's mane jellyfish
- Blue jellyfish
- Compass jellyfish
- Barrel jellyfish
- String jellyfish
- Stalked jellyfish (Stauromedusae)
