Earth is changing. It is a reality that we can not deny and I began to accept, especially after the media onslaught we announced almost every day new and new phenomena that, after four decades, you rather, the field of science fiction. Storms of the increasingly powerful tornado that suddenly arise in areas where it should not be formed, volcanic eruptions, the disappearance of glaciers and arctic snow, snow in African deserts, huge waves and disappearance of species of plants and animals are just some of the effects of what today we call global warming.
Yet, despite studies and apocalyptic forecasts of researchers around the world, we are not even close to understanding and predict the magnitude bizarre phenomena of recent years. In the face of change so rapid and profound, even scientists remain helpless, unable to offer solutions and explanations for what happens to us. I propose now to analyze a phenomenon little known, that happens far from our eyes, in the depths of the seas and oceans, but whose consequences can be catastrophic for the environment and even the existence of marine life, as we know now: Invasion Nomura jellyfish.
Nomura jellyfish is a large, falling from this point of view, the class jellyfish reddish, popularly called "lion mane", whose tentacles reach even 15 meters and represents the largest cnidarians in the world.
Nomura jellyfish was named after the Japanese Ken-ichi Nomura, director general of fisheries experimental station of the province of Fukui, who in early December of 1921 sent a specimen of this species in a tank of 72 liter timber , by Kishinouye, where it was found that the jellyfish was not yet known, although it inhabits oceans before dinosaurs.
It lives mainly in the waters between China and Japan, especially in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea. The Nomura jellyfish which closely studied, providing information about their life cycle, growth rates and feeding habits by the expert Japanese Shin-ichi Uye. It rose more specimens in captivity, noting that Nomura jellyfish grow very quickly, depending on the amount of food we consume is made up of zooplankton.
Stories about giant creatures from the depths arise from the distant past of Japan. However, given their occurrence so rare, Rising Sun Country residents had come to consider them rather than being legendary real creatures living in the depths of the seas.
Nomura is one of the largest jellyfish species on Earth. Normally its dimensions do not exceed 25 to 30 cm in diameter and lead lives deep in the seas and oceans. Observations made by specialists over time, evident that their occurrence in upper areas of ocean is a cycle of about 40 years, which is why the thorough study of their behavior was quite difficult to achieve. In recent years, however, it was found that this species was a development that led to the emergence of huge specimens of 6-10 m diameter and tentacles that reach even 35 meters. But caught were caught only copies 2-2.5 m in diameter and tentacles of 12-15 m. the specialists in marine biology believe that evolution has multiple causes such as global warming, pollution of the seas and oceans with toxic waste especially phosphates, capturing in excess of that species fed with these jellyfish and we refer to tuna, sea turtle and lizards.
In early 2000, the Japanese accused the Chinese that have spilled into the sea for a long time, knowingly, residues of certain chemical plants, which could be due to the emergence in the area of real sea monsters that destroy everything.
With cylinder diameter of about 2 meters, a length of tentacles over 30 meters and a weight exceeding 220 kg, they can be cataloged, without exaggeration, as veritable ocean monsters. Their food consists mainly of phytoplankton or small creatures, creatures you kill them with venom huge jellyfish tentacles. Even if it is not strong enough to kill a man, reaching Nomura can cause agonizing pain careless fishermen or swimmers. In fact, one of the greatest dangers that present huge jellyfish to humans is the condition of the eyeball, which can lead to permanent blindness. In official records, there are only nine deaths, nearly all of them due to venom allergy victims creature.
Instead, the rapacity of jellyfish is one legendary. Japanese specialists have calculated that a single mature tree can consume in one day equivalent of an Olympic pool filled with plankton, action catastrophic for hundreds of marine species that are seen as lacking the main source of food.
If in the past colonies of jellyfish occurs every 40 years, since 2002 they appear annually. It is not clear to what are the causes that have condos to increase the frequency of their occurrence, specialists' opinions are divided. Thus, some consider that the frequent earthquakes in the area have enabled Japanese submarine hot springs that attract the jellyfish at the surface, some even making an association with jellyfish occurrence prediction of earthquakes.
Worthy of notice is the fact that each of the females deposit eggs over a billion a day, the number of specimens of this species in recent years becoming worryingly high. Eggs laid by females in the water reach the ocean floor in the form of polyps that remain inactive until environmental conditions change and the water warms then turn into millions of jellyfish ready to devour large quantities of phytoplankton. This species of jellyfish has a strange ability that at least reflected in the fact that when you are caught in water releases all the eggs making them totally ineffective combat fishing or catching
Catastrophic effects are not immediate. In recent years, Nomura jellyfish have increased so much that fishermen became alarmed, thousands of tons of such creatures taking place fish in their nets. The few fish caught by them were injected with the venom of giant jellyfish, it was impossible to eat. The Chinese were the ones who found a temporary solution to this problem, turning meat Nomura jellyfish in delicious traditional cuisine.
In August 2009, the Japanese fishing vessel sank due weight Diasan nets full of jellyfish Nomura having 2 m in diameter and weighing 200 kg each. Most jellyfish have captured a capsule diameter of 2.5 meters and a length of 35 meters.
Before this incident, last major invasion of giant jellyfish in Japan occurred in 2005. Then, however, produced only damage jellyfish nets and poisoned fish, causing them to become inedible for humans. Two years later, in 2007, the Japanese authorities have received more than 15,000 claims for damage fishing gear, a figure comparable to the destruction in 2009, might seem insignificant.
It seems a great influence on the evolution of this species also had Japanese nuclear accident at the plant in Fukushima, meaning that occurred in the area of 10-15 m diameter specimens.
Sensational enthusiasts have had the pleasure to enjoy sensational underwater photos, which many have believed false start. And in this material are some of them.
Japanese experts fear that if pollution will cease in less than 10 years, giant jellyfish will deplete food sources in their habitat and will migrate to other seas and oceans, which would lead to an ecological catastrophe on a planetary level.
A desperate attempt of the authorities was to introduce Japanese food giant Nomura jellyfish, without having, however, very successful. Pressed, salted, tofu or even in the form of snacks, marine creatures do not seem to please the Japanese. Not the same can be said about the Chinese, for whom jellyfish are an important food source, and Nomura invasion can be an important source of income.
Nomura jellyfish is a problem facing the underwater world and due to the increasing number of individuals but also of their organization in colonies, to which we add pollution but global temperature warming, World Ocean ecosystem is likely to become history. Experts warn that if over the next 10 years, no action is taken to stop increasing pollution, a new species to rule the seas and oceans, jellyfish Nomura.
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