Stung!

On Jellyfish Blooms and the Future of the Ocean

Lisa-ann Gershwin, Sylvia Earle

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English

University of Chicago Press
25 September 2014

Mathematics & Sciences; Marine biology; Zoology: Invertebrates

Our oceans are becoming increasingly inhospitable to life—growing toxicity and rising temperatures coupled with overfishing have led many marine species to the brink of collapse. And yet there is one creature that is thriving in this seasick environment: the beautiful, dangerous, and now incredibly numerous jellyfish. As foremost jellyfish expert Lisa-ann Gershwin describes in Stung!, the jellyfish population bloom is highly indicative of the tragic state of the world’s ocean waters, while also revealing the incredible tenacity of these remarkable creatures. Recent documentaries about swarms of giant jellyfish invading Japanese fishing grounds and summertime headlines about armadas of stinging jellyfish in the Mediterranean and Chesapeake are only the beginning—jellyfish are truly taking over the oceans. Despite their often dazzling appearance, jellyfish are simple creatures with simple needs: namely, fewer predators and competitors, warmer waters to encourage rapid growth, and more places for their larvae to settle and grow. In general, oceans that are less favorable to fish are more favorable to jellyfish, and these are the very conditions that we are creating through mechanized trawling, habitat degradation, coastal construction, pollution, and climate change. Despite their role as harbingers of marine destruction, jellyfish are truly enthralling creatures in their own right, and in Stung!, Gershwin tells stories of jellyfish both attractive and deadly while illuminating many interesting and unusual facts about their behaviors and environmental adaptations. She takes readers back to the Proterozoic era, when jellyfish were the top predator in the marine ecosystem—at a time when there were no fish, no mammals, and no turtles; and she explores the role jellies have as middlemen of destruction, moving swiftly into vulnerable ecosystems. The story of the jellyfish, as Gershwin makes clear, is also the story of the world’s oceans, and Stung! provides a unique and urgent look at their inseparable histories—and future.

By: Lisa-ann Gershwin
Foreword by: Sylvia Earle
Imprint: University of Chicago Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 24mm, Width: 15mm, Spine: 3mm
Weight: 624g
ISBN: 9780226213033
ISBN 10: 022621303X
Pages: 456
Publication Date: 25 September 2014
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Lisa-ann Gershwin is director of the Australian Marine Stinger Advisory Services. She was awarded a Fulbright in 1998 for her studies on jellyfish blooms and evolution, and she has discovered over 150 new species-including at least sixteen types of jellyfish that are highly dangerous, as well as a new species of dolphin-and has written for numerous scientific and popular publications.

Reviews for Stung!: On Jellyfish Blooms and the Future of the Ocean

Read this book! You know that the oceans are in trouble, but this is the most comprehensive and clear explanation of why. Stung! is more than just a book about jellyfish; it is undoubtedly one of the best books detailing the stresses on our ocean ecosystems. It is a much needed and spectacular achievement. --Paul Dayton, Scripps Institution of Oceanography