News of Jellyfish Takeover Unfounded, Scientists Say

Jellyfish have become the subject of what resembles a modern myth, some say.

The story goes like this: Around the world, more and more massive blooms of the gelatinous creatures are cropping up, nurtured by overfishing, climate change, pollution and other human alterations to the environment.

But so far, the paradigm of jellyfish rising to dominate the world's oceans is little more than a myth, without data or analysis to support it, according to a group of scientists who have set out to see what's really going on with this diverse group of animals on a global scale.

Research they have published in the journal BioScience points out that this paradigm has taken on a life of its own. Within the last two decades, news reports on jellies have increased by more than 500 percent, comfortably outnumbering scientific publications on jellyfish outbreaks and carrying headlines that are often alarmist, they point out.

Read on:  http://www.livescience.com/18298-jellyfish-blooms-global-ocean-takeover.html

Seal sightings baffle wildlife experts

A sharp increase in the number of seals around the coast has baffled wildlife experts, who say they have no idea where the animals are mating or giving birth.


They want the public to help solve the mystery.


Researchers have no accurate numbers for the country’s seals but have reported a large increase in sightings in recent years, especially in the Kent and Sussex area.

Brett Lewis of the University of Kent is leading the investigation.

He hopes that if coastal walkers record their sightings with the university an accurate picture can be created.

“If a dog walker or someone sees anything they think we might be interested in, I want to know the details and the exact location of the breeding pair,” he said.

“It will help us build up a much bigger picture of where they are colonising.”


A report last year found that Scotland had more grey seals than previously estimated but that common seals were in decline.

It was estimated that there were around 164,000 grey seals north of the border and a minimum of 20,000 common seals.

Around 15 per cent of the world’s grey seal population is thought to breed on Orkney but little is known about the boom in the South.

A similar survey helped map seal populations in Cumbria in 2007.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/8228656/Seal-sightings-baffle-wildlife-experts.html

Seal sightings baffle wildlife experts

A sharp increase in the number of seals around the coast has baffled wildlife experts, who say they have no idea where the animals are mating or giving birth.


They want the public to help solve the mystery.


Researchers have no accurate numbers for the country’s seals but have reported a large increase in sightings in recent years, especially in the Kent and Sussex area.

Brett Lewis of the University of Kent is leading the investigation.

He hopes that if coastal walkers record their sightings with the university an accurate picture can be created.

“If a dog walker or someone sees anything they think we might be interested in, I want to know the details and the exact location of the breeding pair,” he said.

“It will help us build up a much bigger picture of where they are colonising.”


A report last year found that Scotland had more grey seals than previously estimated but that common seals were in decline.

It was estimated that there were around 164,000 grey seals north of the border and a minimum of 20,000 common seals.

Around 15 per cent of the world’s grey seal population is thought to breed on Orkney but little is known about the boom in the South.

A similar survey helped map seal populations in Cumbria in 2007.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/8228656/Seal-sightings-baffle-wildlife-experts.html