A scientometrics-enhanced review of the genus Cassiopea

Abstract

Research on upside-down jellies has largely focused on their life history and symbiotic relationship with members of the Symbiodiniaceae, with most studies carried out in laboratory settings. Members of the genus Cassiopea have been studied widely for their semi-sessile benthic behavior and for hosting algal symbionts analogous to their anthozoan counterparts, stony coral, making them excellent laboratory models to study host-symbiont relationships. Much less information is available on their field ecology, though high population densities of upside-down jellies have been linked with human activity in nearshore environments. In this review, we searched readily available literature on Cassiopea with the goal to identify major gaps in understanding their field ecology. Internet-based searches using the Web of Science Core Collection through October 2023 yielded 195 documents on Cassiopea research, with 72% of the published studies laboratory-based and the remainder including field studies and reviews. While historical papers date back to 1774, there are generally fewer than 10 per decade, until 1990, with a subsequent exponential increase in publications. Publications based on field studies became more frequent beginning in the early 2000s. This literature review provides a baseline for understanding the existing realm of Cassiopea research and indicates that field-based studies could enhance understanding of their responses in anthropogenically-impacted environments.