The Gulf of Maine is one of the dozen or so most productive coastal seas in the world. For centuries, humans have benefited from this productivity, harvesting fish and shellfish from the Gulf of Maine’s cold, nutrient-rich waters. As the climate changes, this ecosystem will adapt. The more we know about how it will adapt and when, the better we can manage these resources for the health of the ecosystem and the health of the human communities living along its edges. One predicted change is a shift in the common species in the Gulf of Maine, in response to changing nutrient loads and temperatures. These scientists forecast an increase in species like jellyfish.
This project aims to use observational data on jellyfish to drive a predictive model for where and how numerous jellyfish might be in the future. You can read more about our approach in this article, The jelly report: Forecasting jellyfish using email and social media.
Example jellyfish distribution forecast from Nick Record’s model, Kraken. From https://eco.bigelow.org/jellycast/
Project season
Jellyfish can be found year-round in the Gulf of Maine. We welcome observations made in any season.
Project Goals
Scientific goals:
- Accumulate observations of jellyfish to produce forecasts of jellyfish distribution and encounter risk.
- Learn what the public knows -- their insights, interesting hypotheses and questions, and funny stories -- about jellyfish in the Gulf of Maine.
- Connect with people who are in a position to make observations of the marine environment.
Participant goals:
- Support participants' growing awareness and knowledge of jellyfish with forecasts
- Support the evolution of how people understand and interact with the environment.
- Connect with the scientists studying the things we observe.
For more information on this project, please contact Dr. Nick Record of Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences at nrecord@bigelow.org.
Lion's Mane jellyfish photo: cc gothphil@flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/phil_p/
