Brainless creatures composed almost entirely of water, the primitive animals have quietly filled a vacuum created by the voracious human appetite for fish.
Dislodging them will be difficult, marine biologists say.
How hard can it be Mr Biologist, they are brainless! Don't you have a college degree??? Why do we need to dislodge them?
I am always annoyed when scientists base their grand formulations for the worlds oceans on a study of the Mediteranean sea.
Two centuries worth of data shows that jellyfish populations naturally swell every 12 years, remain stable four or six years, and then subside.
2008, however, will be the eighth consecutive year that medusae, as they are also known, will be present in massive numbers.
How good is that 200 years data. what species does it cover and how complete is it. I ask that because of the following:
But just how many millions, or billions, of jellyfish roam the seas is nearly impossible to know, said scientists.
For one things, the boneless, translucent animals -- even big ones grouped in large swarms -- are hard to spot in satellite images or sonar soundings, unlike schools of fish.
They are also resist study in captivity, which means a relative paucity of academic studies.
"There are only 20 percent of species of jellyfish for which we know the life cycle," said Goy.
Oh by all means, lets make some grandious global dictates based upon our limited knowledge of jelly fish...
So lets summarize: We have 200 years of data for some portion less than 20% of known jelly fish species and a relative paucity of academic studies in the field. We don't know how many roam the oceans and we have one or two extended periods of dominance for one noted species/family.
Now get back to work!
Actually medusa are similar to, but not the same as, jellyfish. Whoever wrote this knows less about marine biology than me.