Why Are Moon Jellies Appearing In Large Numbers On Texas Beaches?
Many enjoy going to the beach in the state of Texas. But as of late, the growth in sightings of Moon Jellyfish has alarmed some. What could be the cause of it?
Moon Jellies Appearing Frequently On Texas Beaches
According to Chron, Jay and Jodi Scott were walking around Gilcrest when the discovered the issue. Per Jodi when she was talking to Chron:
"I have been coming to this area since 1970 and have never seen anything like this. Still today they are everywhere!"
This in turn, resulted in the Scotts taking to the internet to talk about the abundance of moon jellies. The major question? Where did they come from?
Further Details Given About The Moon Jellies Appearing On Texas Beaches
After confirmation they were actually Moon Jellies, Texas A&M Corpus Christi Harte Research Institute marine biologist Jace Tunnell told Chron this isn't the only place of the state where the jellies are making appearances on the shore. Sightings have also been reported in Mustang Island.
But why is this occurring now? Per Tunnel, "Storms can push jellyfish and it's possible Hurricane Francine did so." Chron also stated that reproduction for the Moon Jelly may have increased the amount of rainfall that the state has seen recently.
The bad news? One should not attempt to touch a Moon Jelly as they do sting. Thankfully though, Tunnel revealed the sting isn't all that bad:
"But they would be a 1 out of 10 on a scale of pain which is not that bad... Most people would probably never feel the sting unless it was on a sensitive part of their body."
So it looks like Moon Jellies are visiting Texas beaches for a little bit, but it'd be best to not touch them!
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