Beaches in Spain close from jellyfish invasion

July 24, 2011 – SPAIN – An invasion of Aussie jellyfish has forced Spain to close six beaches at popular holiday resort areas after more than 100 swimmers were treated for stings. Normally seen in the southern Atlantic or Pacific, scores of phyllorhiza punctata, otherwise known as Australian spotted jellyfish, have converged on waters off Orihuela, south of Alicante on the Costa Blanca, reported The Times today. While not overly dangerous to humans, the jellyfish – which is native to the southwestern Pacific but has been found in the Gulf of Mexico and off North Carolina – holds a mild venom that can cause discomfort. The Spanish beaches that closed were Punta Prima, La Mosca, Playa Flamenca, Cala Cerrada, La Zenia and Cala Capitan. The report followed warnings from biologists that British seas could be turned into a “jellyfish soup” this summer, according to Sky News. Biologists from the Marine Conservation Society (MCS), based in Ross-on-Wye, southern England, said yesterday that pollution and overfishing might be behind the rise in the number of jellyfish living in the UK’s coastal waters. “There is strong evidence that jellyfish numbers are increasing around the world, including UK seas, and these increases have been linked to factors such as pollution, overfishing and possibly climate change,” the MCS’ Peter Richardson said. –Courier Mail

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