Our oceans are becoming increasingly inhospitable to life--growing
toxicity and rising temperatures coupled with overfishing have led
many marine species to the brink of collapse. And yet there is one
creature that is thriving in this seasick environment: the
beautiful, dangerous, and now incredibly numerous jellyfish. As
foremost jellyfish expert Lisa-ann Gershwin describes in "Stung ,
"the jellyfish population bloom is highly indicative of the tragic
state of the world's ocean waters, while also revealing the
incredible tenacity of these remarkable creatures. Recent
documentaries about swarms of giant jellyfish invading Japanese
fishing grounds and summertime headlines about armadas of stinging
jellyfish in the Mediterranean and Chesapeake are only the
beginning--jellyfish are truly taking over the oceans. Despite
their often dazzling appearance, jellyfish are simple creatures
with simple needs: namely, fewer predators and competitors, warmer
waters to encourage rapid growth, and more places for their larvae
to settle and grow. In general, oceans that are less favorable to
fish are more favorable to jellyfish, and these are the very
conditions that we are creating through mechanized trawling,
habitat degradation, coastal construction, pollution, and climate
change. Despite their role as harbingers of marine destruction,
jellyfish are truly enthralling creatures in their own right, and
in "Stung ," Gershwin tells stories of jellyfish both attractive
and deadly while illuminating many interesting and unusual facts
about their behaviors and environmental adaptations. She takes
readers back to the Proterozoic era, when jellyfish were the top
predator in the marine ecosystem--at a time when there were no
fish, no mammals, and no turtles; and she explores the role jellies
have as middlemen of destruction, moving swiftly into vulnerable
ecosystems. The story of the jellyfish, as Gershwin makes clear, is
also the story of the world's oceans, and "Stung "provides a unique
and urgent look at their inseparable histories--and future.
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