Invasive Clinging Jellyfish Reported in New Jersey Coastal Waters, Officials Warn of Stings

Authorities have reported that invasive clinging jellyfish had been spotted in New Jersey's coastal waters and that the creatures could induce a painful sting.

Invasive Clinging Jellyfish Sightings

For the seventh summer in a row, tiny but powerful clinging jellyfish have returned to the coastal waters of New Jersey.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection advised beachgoers to watch out for the coin-sized cnidarians, which cling to algae or marine plants in the bay and estuarine waters and can deliver painful stings.

According to Christine Thompson, a Stockton University associate professor, the DEP is attempting to inform the public that clinging jellies are now present in the ocean.

Therefore, it's crucial to use caution when reserving a space near submerged plants.

As per the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, clinging jellyfish have bodies that are mostly transparent and grow to be approximately an inch in diameter.

They have colored cross shapes that range from red-orange to yellow, and their 60 to 80 tentacles have nematocysts, or stinging cells that pack a nasty punch and come in a variety of sizes.

These invasive organisms, which are native to the Pacific Ocean, most likely entered the eastern Atlantic through ship introductions during the late 19th century.

Clinging jellyfish, which were first detected at the Jersey Shore in 2016, made their way to North Wildwood in 2019, where they caused hospitalizations following stings.

New Jersey Coastal Waters

Clinging jellies grow between mid-May and the beginning of August along the East Coast, where they can now be found from Maine to New Jersey.

These small animals flourish in seas that are warmer and have an abundance of food.

The Metedeconk River, the bayside of Island Beach State Park, the Shrewsbury River, a salt pond close to Hereford Inlet Lighthouse, the Cape May National Wildlife Refuge, and the Lower Township Thorofare coastal waterway, all have established populations of the species. Scientists from Montclair State University and the NJDEP keep an eye on these areas, looking into sighting reports and potential clinging jellyfish habitats.

By testing water samples for the DNA the animals release into their environments, a study commissioned in May through a partnership between the NJDEP and Rutgers University has allowed for a simpler process in monitoring New Jersey's cnidarians-a group of marine predators with stinging cells, including jellyfish.

In locations with numerous zooplankton and copepods, adult clinging jellyfish spend the daylight hours tucked up in eelgrass or algae, but they come out to play at dusk or if disturbed.

People who are casually wading or collecting shellfish in eelgrass beds run the risk of being stung by clinging jellyfish, which are not generally found in ocean waters or on beaches.

A disturbed jellyfish can dart to the water's surface and possibly come into contact with someone walking by.

Clinging Jellyfish Sting

The public is cautioned not to wade into places where the stinging species has been spotted to prevent coming into contact with one.

It is less likely that you will be stung if you enter such waters wearing waders and long sleeves.

Individual responses to stings from clinging jellyfish vary, although they typically start with a burning feeling.

A sting from a clinging jellyfish can, in extreme circumstances, result in hospitalization and kidney failure.

A Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute report by a researcher who was stung in the face in 2013 compared the discomfort to "hypodermic needles."

NJDEP authorities advise using seawater to rinse the area after being stung by a clinging jellyfish and using gloves, a plastic card, or a thick towel to remove any remaining tentacle components.

The victim should immediately seek medical assistance if symptoms intensify or pain persists, PhillyVoice reported.