Large medusae in surface waters of the Northern California Current: variability in relation to environmental conditions

Long‐term change in the abundances of northern Gulf of Mexico scyphomedusae Chrysaora sp. and Aurelia spp. with links to climate variability

“…Jellyfish and climate relationships-The apparent similar influence of multiple climate drivers on jellyfish production throughout the year illustrates the complex relationship between climate and jellyfish in the northern Gulf. This complexity is unlike linkages between jellyfish and climate identified in the North Atlantic or northeast Pacific, where a single climate driver often has the strongest influence on hydrographic conditions and jellyfish production (Lynam et al 2004;Suchman et al 2012). Jellyfish abundances in the Gulf were greater than their long-term average when climate drivers and interactions among them caused the Gulf to experience a wet and warm winter, a dry and cool spring, and a wet and warm summer and the Mississippi River watershed to experience a dry winter, a wet spring, and a wet summer (Fig.…”

“…Linkages between variations in climate and jellyfish abundance have received some attention in North American temperate ecosystems (Purcell 2005;Suchman et al 2012). However, a similar analysis for populations inhabiting subtropical waters such as the Gulf of Mexico has not been performed.…”

Long-Term Fluctuations in Circalunar Beach Aggregations of the Box Jellyfish Alatina moseri in Hawaii, with Links to Environmental Variability

“…In the Irish Sea, 68% of jellyfish abundance was explained by variation in the North Atlantic Oscillation, sea surface temperature, zooplankton biomass, and precipitation [28]. Within the northern California current the highest catches of medusae correlated with cool temperatures during spring-summer and low winter-summer runoff of the Columbia River, and negative anomalies of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) [29].…”

Jellyfish Blooms

“…As an example, populations of the Peruvian anchovy ( Engraulis ringens ) and sardines ( Sardinops sagax ) undergo interannual and interdecadal fl uctuations in response to ENSO (El Niño-La Niña) and the PDO (El Viejo-La Vieja), respectively (e.g. Similar climate-driven variability occurs in jellyfi sh populations Suchman et al 2012 ;Robinson and Graham 2013 ). Strong El Niño or La Niña events have large cascading ecosystem effects.…”