A surge of moon jellyfish washed ashore on Coastal Bend beaches, generating social media buzz and prompting safety warnings.
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A surge of moon jellyfish washed ashore along Coastal Bend beaches over the weekend, creating both social media buzz and safety concerns for beachgoers.
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The recent full moon on Monday, October 6th likely contributed to the influx that was seen.
“The moon jellyfish that we were getting last week come in high numbers roughly on a periodic time when the full moon is when they start breeding or releasing the jellyfish from their motile stage, so when they start swimming.” Jake Willans explained.
The tides following the full moon, combined with strong currents, helped bring jellyfish ashore.
Despite the volume of jellyfish seen along the coast, no stings were reported to lifeguards over the weekend.
“Lately we have not had to respond to any jellyfish stings because we’ve been flying the purple flag for the past couple of weeks, so people know that when that flag is flying to stay out of the water because there is an increase in marine life,” said Ana Tortorello, beach rescue superintendent.
The purple flag is a warning for potentially hazardous marine life in the water, including jellyfish, and alerts swimmers to use caution.
While jellyfish sightings aren’t unusual for the region, the scale of this weekend’s influx stood out.
“They grow a lot quicker and they breed in larger numbers in warmer temperatures, more acidic conditions, and also when there’s a lot of nutrients in the water. A lot of areas that are around the coastline are perfect for jellyfish growth because we have the runoff from all of our activities,” Willans said.
As climate conditions continue to shift and Gulf temperatures remains above average, experts say we may see larger and more numerous jellyfish
Beachgoers are reminded to always be aware of flags posted by lifeguards. If stung, lifeguards typically recommend rinsing the area with both salt water and vinegar to neutralize the sting.