Unusual mass mortality of jellyfish Rhizostoma pulmo on the coast of the Sea of Marmara in December 2020

12/16/2020 Arda Tonay

Unusual mass mortality of jellyfish Rhizostoma pulmo on the coast of the Sea of Marmara in December 2020

İlayda Destan Öztürk, Selin Gamze Sümen

ORCID IDs: İ.D.Ö. 0000-0001-8915-6236; S.G.S 0000-0002-9845-1306

Department of Physical Oceanography and Marine Biology, Institute of Marine Sciences and Management, İstanbul University, İstanbul, TURKEY
Turkish Marine Research Foundation (TUDAV), P.O. Box 10, Beykoz, İstanbul, TURKEY
Department of Underwater and Hyperbaric Medicine, Kartal Dr. Lutfi Kırdar Training and Research Hospital, University of Health Sciences, İstanbul, TURKEY

Abstract

This study presents the unusual mass mortality of Rhizostoma pulmo occurred on the coast of İstanbul in the Sea of Marmara in the first week of December 2020. The density of dead R. pulmo was 45±5 ind./m2 in the area and the mean diameter was 24.3 cm. The role of physical parameters, marine pollution, nutrient influx, climate change, overfishing, invasive species on jellyfish blooms and its effect on human health are discussed briefly in this study.

Keywords: Barrel jellyfish, Sea of Marmara, gelatinous organisms, bloom, circulation system

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