{"id":372887,"date":"2026-04-03T11:51:10","date_gmt":"2026-04-03T11:51:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/372887\/"},"modified":"2026-04-03T11:51:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-03T11:51:10","slug":"mcs-calling-on-volunteers-to-report-jellyfish-sightings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/372887\/","title":{"rendered":"MCS calling on volunteers to report jellyfish sightings"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\n\"\"Moon jellyfish were the most commonly sighted jellyfish over 2024-2025 (Photo: Peter Bardsley\/MCS)<\/p>\n

To help scientists learn more about how the UK\u2019s waters are changing, this summer the\u00a0Marine Conservation Society<\/a>\u00a0(MCS) is asking volunteers to report jellyfish sightings as part of its nationwide recording initiative,\u00a0JellyWatch.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Because jellyfish are highly sensitive to their environments, their presence and abundance can reveal changes in water temperature, currents, salinity\u00a0and\u00a0pollutants, making them natural indicators of ocean health.<\/p>\n

Although sightings are most common during the warmer months, reports to the database can be made at any time of year, enabling the\u00a0JellyWatch\u00a0programme to capture how\u00a0jellyfish\u00a0populations change across the seasons.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As they grow in numbers in the UK\u2019s waters, the population blooms are often accompanied by leatherback turtles, which migrate to\u00a0UK waters\u00a0in\u00a0the\u00a0summer to feed almost exclusively on jellyfish blooms.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u2018Jellyfish have a bit of an image problem, but\u00a0they\u2019re\u00a0actually one\u00a0of the most fascinating and important animals in our seas\u00a0\u2013\u00a0and in my opinion, one\u00a0of the most beautiful and awe-inspiring,\u2019 said Anna Bunney, Citizen Science Programme\u00a0Developer\u00a0at the Marine Conservation Society.<\/p>\n

\u2018They give us vital clues about\u00a0what\u2019s\u00a0happening beneath the surface, from warming waters to changes in marine food webs. By getting outside and spotting jellyfish this summer, people can play a direct role in helping us to build a clearer picture of how our ocean is changing \u2013 and if you do see large numbers of\u00a0jellyfish, keep an eye out \u2013 it could also mean leatherback turtles\u00a0aren\u2019t\u00a0far behind.\u2019<\/p>\n

\"leatherbackLeatherback turtles follow the jellyfish to UK waters (Photo: Shutterstock)<\/p>\n

Data from the MCS, which has been recording jellyfish and turtle sightings for more than 20 years, showed the\u00a0two\u00a0most recorded\u00a0species in the UK last year were moon jellyfish (24 per cent of\u00a0reported\u00a0sightings) and barrel jellyfish (23 per cent),\u00a0which both\u00a0have\u00a0mild,\u00a0harmless stings.<\/p>\n

Sightings of both moon and barrel jellyfish peaked in July. Barrel jellyfish numbers also rose sharply from the previous year and were most commonly recorded along\u00a0the west coast of the UK, while moon jellyfish were most frequently spotted around the south-west and south-east coasts.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As sea temperatures rise\u00a0in\u00a0spring,\u00a0jellyfish\u00a0respond by forming blooms, and their arrival in UK waters is often one of the first signs that summer has begun.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The warmer water provides ideal conditions for jellyfish to reproduce,\u00a0allowing more young jellyfish to develop and\u00a0contributing to larger, more frequent blooms \u2013 this is reflected in the\u00a0charity\u2019s\u00a0data, which\u00a0saw\u00a0a 68 per cent rise in moon jellyfish blooms\u00a0during the marine heatwave of 2025.<\/p>\n

As well as\u00a0indicating\u00a0warmer\u00a0waters,\u00a0jellyfish\u00a0blooms\u00a0are\u00a0more likely to occur in certain\u00a0conditions, including excess nutrients and overfishing\u00a0of competitor species.<\/p>\n

They can also reveal hidden pollutants in the waters, such as metals and microplastics \u2013 because they readily accumulate substances from the water column, moon jellyfish have been used in scientific studies as indicators of mercury and other pollutants in marine environments.<\/p>\n

Each jellyfish sighting helps scientists track\u00a0changes\u00a0in the UK\u2019s waters in our ocean\u00a0and uncover the wider impacts\u00a0of human activities\u00a0on marine life.\u00a0<\/p>\n

MCS is asking anybody visiting the beach to report jellyfish sightings \u2013 whether they be washed ashore or still in the water \u2013 through the online form below. A handy guide to jellyfish ID<\/a> is available to download from the MCS website.<\/p>\n

Some caution is urged \u2013 all jellyfish have stinging cells and although most of the species found in UK waters are relatively harmless, some can inflict a painful sting, even when stranded. <\/p>\n

Volunteers should avoid touching the jellies and we wary of stray tentacles, and follow\u00a0NHS guidance<\/a>\u00a0if stung.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Beachgoers should especially be on the lookout for Portuguese man o\u2019 war<\/a>, a type of siphonophore that looks like jellyfish, with long tentacles and a sting that can be dangerous to humans.<\/p>\n

For more information, downloadable resources and to report a sighting, head to www.mcsuk.org\/sightings<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

Related articles<\/p>\n

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