Jellyfish: Aliens Of The Sea

A quite sudden, insane outbreak of jellyfish has shocked and puzzled all of Japan, Australia, Hawaii, Mexico, Namibia, Britain, the Mediterranean, and confounded scientists all over the world.

A few years ago, if you heard the word "jellyfish", you probably would've thought nothing of it. That word goes right along with seahorse, sea turtle, fish, seaweed, tentacles, sand, and makes for some great pee jokes (pee cures minor jelly fish stings, as many of us have learned from Friends).

However, as we're starting to learn, mention the word jellyfish in Japan (or any of the places mentioned above), and all but may break loose. There have been an unusual amount of beach closings all across the globe due to swarms of jellyfish these past years; beaches in France, the United States, and Australia have closed off and put up "DANGER: JELLYFISH" signs around the sand to try to quell the amount of people getting stung each year, which has risen incredibly, especially in Australia.

In 2004, 30,000 people got stung, and since then, matters have only worsened. So not only is Australia both burning down and flooding; they've got a jellyfish invasion to put up with, as well.

Japan, which relies on its fishing industry for economic and nutritional survival, is in serious trouble; jellies have been invading their sea and attacking their fish farms. Fishing boats are pulling up large nets full to the brim with giant jellyfish, and actual fish are getting more and more difficult to find; if the are found, they're often found stung by the jellies, and are therefore poisoned, and uneatable.

This isn't simply a population problem, either. Jellyfish have proven to be a serious threat. Box jellyfish, the ones who are dominating Japan, Australia, and just about everywhere else, have four brains that are constantly working and helping them search for food; they are carnivores, and jellies have been known to eat fish eggs, which isn't helping the fish population, either. No one knows where they came from; they just "are".

The venom of the Box Jellyfish is one of the most deadly marine venoms in the world, and it can kill a human being in around 180 seconds; that's three minutes of excruciating pain. Those who do survive the sting are hospitalized and given about four-five times the dosage of morphine someone with a broken leg would get; so don't get stung! These guys have 24 eyes, giving them 360 degree vision; there's nowhere to hide; and their tentacles can be up to about ten feet; they are colossal.

Yet another frightening aspect of the jellie's lifestyle; most jellies just drift along the waters; they don't actual have control of where they're going. Box Jellyfish can actually swim. And they can swim FAST; think Olympic Swimmer fast. There was once a case of Box Jellyfish attacking Ireland's only salmon farm, and it was proven that the jellies hadn't just floated there; they had swam there. Determinedly.

The scariest part? It's nearly impossible to kill them. Sure, we can slaughter them by the thousands; even though they're three times the population of the earth; but you do that, and you'll get even more. Because when Box Jellyfish die, they don't just die. Scientists have found that these jellies have a near full-proof survival kit inside their reproductive organs; when under attack, the female jellyfish release thousands of eggs into the sea before being sliced and diced; the same goes for males, releasing all their sperm.

The fertilized eggs slowly settle into the seabed, and stay there, developing into a new horde of killer jellies over the span of a few years up to a decade; some lay dormant for half a century. You kill one box jellyfish, and in a few years, you will have created about 900 more. The only repellent so far has been the colour red; box jellyfish will stay as far away as possible from red poles in the water. What does that mean for us in 5, 10 years? Think about it.

It isn't only the Box Jellyfish, either. There's been a fairly recent outbreak of irukundji jellyfish; these jellies are absolutely tiny, and clear as water. Yet, big surprises come in small packages; these, along side with the Box, are one of the most notorious jellyfish in the sea. Their toxin is even worse than the Box, and you'll never see one coming.

They're aliens of the sea, beware of the waters; there are more than sharks lurking around.