Assessment of the distribution and abundance of stinging sea nettles (jellyfish) in Barnegat Bay; Final project report: 2013. Retrieved from https://doi.org/doi:10.7282/T3TX3H6W
DescriptionDuring the 2012 field season, we collected samples from 16 sites in Barnegat Bay to assess the distribution of gelatinous zooplankton, with emphasis on all life history stages of sea nettles (Chrysaora quinquecirrha) and potential impacts on the pelagic zooplankton communities. During the research, 384 plankton tow samples were collected, 1152 filtered water samples were collected, and approximately 1394 lift net samples were collected during eight sampling events commencing in May and concluding in September.
The northern portion of Barnegat Bay had lower salinity compared to middle and southern regions of the bay, but no trends in oxygen or temperature were observed. Lift net samples indicted substantially higher densities of sea nettles in northern regions of the bay, while the comb jelly Mnemiopsis leidyi was dominant in the middle and southern regions of the bay. Seasonally, the peak in sea nettle abundance occurred in early July. Juvenile sea nettles were collected throughout the bay, but their densities were much higher in northern regions of the bay and were highly correlated with adult distributions. Water samples assessing C. quinquecirrha DNA indicate the presence of small individuals (i.e., early stage ephyra) throughout the bay, despite the limited number of juveniles and lack of adults from southern regions of Barnegat Bay. It is possible that the ebbing tide sufficiently flushes these individuals out of the bay, but their presence indicates proximal sources suggesting that populations of polyps exist within Little Egg Harbor. Consequently, it may just be a matter of time while polyp populations become better established that we will begin to see adult sea nettles in southern Barnegat Bay. Collection of significant quantities of C. quinquecirrha DNA from the 100 μm filters in all regions of Barnegat Bay indicate that the reproductive potential of the adults is wide spread in the bay and polyp colonization of new habitats in Barnegat Bay and beyond is high.
Organization NameNew Jersey Environmental Digital Library
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