URGENT: Why This Matters 

The future of the oceans?

So, what the heck are they? 

The basics of jellyfish existence

Jellies -- the term favored by marine biologists -- are invertebrate animals, related to corals and anemones. They're part of a family known as Cnidarians (nigh-DARE-e-uns), a Greek word that means "stinging nettle." The adult form of some jellies is called a medusa, from the Greek myth about the Gorgon Medusa, a woman with a head of writhing, biting snakes.

Jellies have no brain or central nervous system, no heart, no eyes (more on that later), and their skin is only a few cells thick. They're more than 95 percent water. Their reproductive life is bizarre -- it takes both sexual reproduction AND cloning to create a new generation of jellies.

For all they lack, they're remarkably successful. Jelly fossils date back as far as 505 million years! There are hundreds of living species, from the tropics to the Arctic, from the deep sea to brackish estuaries, even in freshwater lakes and rivers. Some can produce their own light through bioluminescence; others generate patterns of rainbow light as they swim -- living crystalline prisms moving through the ocean.

The sting's the thing 

The chemical arsenal of jellies

Yes, they can sting -- though not all jellies do, and not all are equally potent. They deliver toxins from a chemical arsenal arrayed on nearly invisible tentacles. Thousands, even millions of minute capsules called nematocysts fire a living harpoon into the flesh of anything that brushes against them, deploying toxins that paralyze and kill their prey.

They eat everything from tiny shrimplike animals to small fishes. Jellies, in turn, are eaten by other jellies, sea turtles and ocean sunfish, among other predators. Some people eat jellies, too, especially in Asian cuisine. Dried and sliced into strips, they taste (I'm told) like salty rubber bands.

Though we're not on their menu, sometimes people get stung. The result can be an itch, a painful welt, or a fatal toxic reaction. the Australian box jelly (pictured here) is among the most deadly, and has the best-developed eyes of any jelly; the tropical Portuguese man o' war is perhaps the best known.

If you're stung: Rinse with fresh water or vinegar, and find a doctor. Here are more tips.

Jellies at aquariums 

A new and engaging perspective

Behind acrylic windows in public aquariums, jellies evoke different feelings: a tranquil magic as they steady drift & pulse. I work at Monterey Bay Aquarium, and present a program on jellies a few times a month. Visitors tell me how their heart rate slows, their blood pressure drops as they walk into our jellies gallery. They dream of taking yoga classes in a room surrounded by jellies, and feel their stress ebbing away. Divers & snorkelers plan trips to the saltwater lagoons of Palau in the South Pacific to swim with non-stinging spotted jellies that look like clouds of Fantasia characters.

The science behind the exhibits 

Painstaking biology, and new tank designs

Japanese aquariums, notably Enoshima Aquarium, were the first to exhibit jellies extensively. Monterey Bay Aquarium first got moon jellies from Japanese colleagues in 1985, and put them in one small exhibit. They were an instant hit. Soon aquarium biologists were puzzling out the secrets of jellyfish reproduction and finding ways to bring new species to the public.

They also worked to create exhibit homes for delicate jellies so they wouldn't get caught in corners or sucked up against filters. They crafted a design based on shipboard holding tanks for plankton, known by their German name: kreisel (or spinning top). With the aid of UCLA biologist Bill Hamner, aquarium staff tipped the kreisel on its end, creating a sort of jellyfish Ferris wheel.

The aquarium jellyfish boom was launched with a few small exhibits in Monterey in 1989 that captivated visitors. Two years later came a special exhibition, "Planet of the Jellies." Soon jellies were turning up in aquariums around the world.

The art of jellies 

Inspiration from nature takes many forms

Glass artist Rick Satava flipped over Monterey's jellies in 1989. He decided to create jellies of glass -- incredible works of art.

Renowned glass artist Dale Chihuly, whose work is featured in "Jellies: Living Art", creates Seaforms, inspired by ocean life.

Some artists fashion jellyfish lamps , including neon lamps. They even create jelly art as light fixtures for seafood restaurants!

Jellyfish was also the name (and inspiration?) for a San Francisco power-pop band in the early '90s, a surprising number of contemporary bands -- and even SpongeBob SquarePants and the Jellyfish Jam Band.

Jellies & the environment 

Will they be the last thing on the menu?

It's not all peace and beauty in the jellies' world. Invasive jelly species are wiping out fish larvae in waters from the Gulf of Mexico to the Black Sea. Massive blooms of jellies are appearing in oceans around the world, clogging fishing nets, possibly because overfishing has eliminated jelly predators. You can help solve the problem when you use a Seafood Watch pocket guide from the Monterey Bay Aquarium to help you make seafood choices that favor sustainable fisheries and productive ocean habitats.

Jelly links 

Great places to learn more about jellies

Jellies: Living Art exhibit

Animals, art and information from the award-winning Monterey Bay Aquarium exhibit

The Jellies Zone

All things jelly from marine biologist & underwater photographer Dave Wrobel

Claudia Mills' Jelly Site

Links to her research at the University of Washington, and other cool jellies sites

Glowing Genes

The ultimate site about green fluorescent protein from crystal jellies -- everything from its use in cancer research to Alba the glow-in-the-dark bunny

Deep Sea Jellies

Kevin Raskoff's work with deep sea jellies at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute

Cnidaria Home Page

UC-Irvine site for researchers studying jellies and related species

Red Jellyfish

Environmental site with a jellies info page and a test-your-knowledge quiz

SearchTuna

Lots of jellyfish links

Travel Information 

Visiting jellies at Monterey Bay Aquarium

Monterey Bay Aquarium

Tickets & trip planning info

TripAdvisor.com

Visitor reviews of Monterey Bay Aquarium

EPinions.com

More visitor reviews

Go California Monterey Guide

Travel info for the Monterey area

Monterey Visitor Information

Hotels, events, etc. from the Convention & Visitor Bureau

Related Squidoos 

Monterey Bay Aquarium lenses

Cool Fish People

The faces behind the animals, exhibits and programs at the aquarium

Orphaned Sea Otter

Tale of a pup rescued and rehabilitated by the folks at the aquarium

Monterey Bay Aquarium

The story of a life-changing experience

Jellyfish Poll 

Jellyfish Photos 

Photographed at the Monterey Aquarium.

Persian Gulf, Iran.

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Jellies in the news 

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Jelly Thoughts 

Please take a moment to share your thoughts about this lens -- and to rate it as a guide to others! Thanks!

MikeKline This awesome lens brought back some excellent memories of swimming, surfing, skiing, and actually eating jelly fish in China. Thanks for sharing. Posted August 20, 2006

ThePaintedCat This is amazing and so interesting and the photos are wonderful. Thank you so much. Posted August 09, 2006

m0nster0 Cool lens - I recognize the jellyfish tattoo picture as a design by Ernst Haeckel. If you're interested in seeing more check out the Ernst Haeckel Squidoo lens: www.squidoo.com/cafepress/misland Thanks! Posted July 25, 2006

mimulux i always loved jellyfish.. i find them fascinating and i think it is great that you have dedicated this lens to them jellies! well done!!! Posted July 25, 2006

MeganCasey What a lens! Thanks for the incredible work. And...congrats. It's today's Lens of the Day. Check out http://www.squidoo.com/lensoftheday/?p=142 Posted July 25, 2006

Jellyfish 

Jellies: Living Art

by Judith L. Connor, Nora L. Deans

Monterey Bay Aquarium Press; foreword by Terry Tempest Williams

Amazon Price: (as of 07/26/2008)

Jellyfish (Early Bird Nature Books)

by Leighton R. Taylor

Natural history book for children

Amazon Price: $26.60 (as of 07/26/2008)

A Guide to the World of the Jellyfish

by Eileen Campbell

Monterey Bay Aquarium Press; good quick guide

Amazon Price: (as of 07/26/2008)

Jellyfish Inside Out

by Michelle McKenzie

Monterey Bay Aquarium Press; for young people, with DVD

Amazon Price: (as of 07/26/2008)

Pacific Coast Pelagic Invertebrates: A Guide to the Common Gelatinous Animals

by David Wrobel, Claudia Mills

Comprehensive guide, with photos

Amazon Price: (as of 07/26/2008)