The jellyfish-like animals generally like to drift in the open ocean; however, the weather appears to have altered this behavior.
Stormy conditions have increased sightings of the Portuguese man-of-war around the British coastline.
As part of its yearly study, the Marine Conservation Society received reports of 1,315 jellyfish sightings and a 2% rise in sightings of man-o’-war.
The tentacles of the Portuguese man-o’-war carry capsules with barbed, coiled tubes that can paralyze or kill tiny fish and crabs.
Its sting is rarely lethal to humans, but it can be extremely painful and produce skin welts.
A spokesperson for the organization stated: “Storms in October 2021 and February 2022 increased sightings of the Portuguese man-of-war by 2% compared to the previous year.
“Although they have a negative reputation, these jellyfish-like organisms rarely inhabit British waters, preferring to float in the open ocean.
“These unique visitors were predominantly spotted along the southwest and west coasts of Scotland, with westerly winds transporting them over the Atlantic Ocean to our coastlines.
The violet sea snail, which floats on the surface in bubble rafts and feeds on Portuguese man-o’-wars, is sometimes beached at the same time.
Variations in temperature
Although the man o’ war is frequently mistaken for a jellyfish, it is only distantly related.
It is a species of siphonophore, which is a colony of creatures working together.
Other animals sighted included the compass jellyfish and moon jellyfish, both of which accounted for 23% of sightings, as well as an increase in sightings of “other” species, from 5% to 9% this year.
The spokesperson stated, “Tracking reports of ‘other’ species such as these could demonstrate how climate changes may be affecting jellyfish diversity in the United Kingdom.”
Observations of leatherback turtles in Scotland
Eleven jellyfish-eating turtles were recorded, including six live leatherbacks found around the coast of Scotland.
Amy Pilsbury, leader of the MCS citizen science project, stated: “Together with scientists, we utilize these observations to identify changes in the distribution of jellyfish and marine turtles around the United Kingdom.
Studying the interrelationships between species can help us learn more about our incredible undersea world and how it may be changing due to factors such as climate change.
