'Tis the season to be jelly

Abstract

It's that time of the year again, when, with the soaring temperatures and the bathing season on the horizon, public and media attention on jellyfish reaches feverish levels. But behind the hype, concrete initiatives are being embarked upon this summer to closely monitor jellyfish blooms. When occurring in isolation, individual jellyfish represent more of an intriguing attraction to bathers than a source of consternation. In fact, most top-notch aquariums nowadays regularly feature jellyfish in their collections, using what is known as a kreisel (German for spin, carousel) which creates a continuous current to avoid the jellyfish piling up on the sides of the tank.