Jellyfish invasion a sign of trouble to come

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http://media.www.kentnewsnet.com/media/storage/paper867/news/2009/12/08/Opinion/Jellyfish.Invasion.A.Sign.Of.Trouble.To.Come-3847283.shtml#5


World leaders attending the U.N. climate conference in Copenhagen most likely will not discuss the invasion of the jellyfish, but perhaps they should. While it might sound like the stuff of a B horror movie, millions of jellyfish - some the size of refrigerators - are swarming coastlines from Spain to New York and Japan to Hawaii. Last month, these marauders sank a 10-ton fishing trawler off the coast of Japan after the boat's crew tried to haul in a net containing dozens of huge Nomura jellyfish - giants who can weigh up to 450 pounds each.

The best way to fight this growing menace is with our forks.

Scientists believe that a combination of climate change, pollution and overfishing is causing the boom in jellyfish populations. Leaving animals, including fish, off our dinner plates will combat all three problems.

Unless you've been living under a rock - or perhaps in a McDonald's - you probably know that raising animals for food is not doing the planet any favors. Today's meat factories spew greenhouse gases, gobble up precious resources, contaminate the air and pollute the water. According to a U.N. report, the meat industry generates 40 percent more greenhouse gases than all the cars, trucks, SUVs, ships and planes in the world combined. Hello, jellies: Almost all jellyfish breed better and faster in warmer waters.

Animal factories are also among the causes of ocean "dead zones," as excrement from factory farms makes its way to streams and rivers and, ultimately, to the open seas, resulting in toxic algae blooms. While other sea animals die off in dead zones - hence the name - jellyfish not only survive but also thrive.

The commercial fishing industry must also share the blame for the jelly boom.

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While jellyfish invasions are a nuisance to beachgoers and a burden to businesses - swarms of jellyfish have decimated fishing industries in the Bering and Black seas, clogged water-intake pipes at nuclear power plants in Japan and forced beach closings from the Great Barrier Reef of Australia to Waikiki in the United States - they are also a sign of a more profound problem.
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since nothing is being done about it, there will be more and more of them daily.

disaster is rolling faster and faster down the waves and mountains

[CatWoman]

1. growing up on the Virginia peninsula

has left me deathly afraid of jellyfish :scared:

[KamaAina]

2. Box jellyfish are nothing new in Hawai'i

they've been showing up like clockwork, eight to twelve days after the new moon, since the '80s.

[GreenPartyVoter]

7. Have the numbers grown over the years, though?

[Mari333]

3. ...

http://www.starchefs.com/features/chinese_fusion/html/marinated_jellyfish_a_sosa.shtml

[niceypoo]

4. Now if only the jellyfish invasion in Congress would ebb

[Sheepshank]

5. So a possible solution....

....si to eat more jelly fish?

Has anyone here actually tried to consume this?

What does it taske like. Do all jelly fish taste the same?

[Tutankhamun]

6. Here's a thought that's even scarier than global warming:

McDonald's Filet o' jellyfish!

Or how about Kentucky Fried Jellyfish?

H. Salt Jellyfish 'N Chips...

This could become quite the appetizing list.

[Sheepshank]

8. Sponge Bob and Mr. Crabs

Spreading jelly fish on a perfetly good crabbie patty.

Capitalists promoting too many jelly fish menues and depleting the natural rhythm of the oceans. A very possible outcome if the menu item is appetizing.