Ferry Surveys

Irish Ferries to help EcoJel map jellyfish blooms

For the next three years, the EcoJel team in collaboration with Irish Ferries will conduct regular ferry surveys across the Irish Sea to monitor jellyfish blooms. It may seem like a strange thing to do, but recent research has shown that ferries offer an ideal platform from which to make surface observations of jellyfish. Quite simply you look over the side of the ferry and record the number of jellyfish you see as you sail along!

Importantly, observations of jellyfish from ferries provide an excellent way of mapping the distribution of jellyfish over very large areas such as the Irish Sea. Considering that jellyfish may play important roles in marine ecosystems it is important that we collect long term jellyfish data over entire seas so that we can determine if their abundance is decreasing or increasing with climate change.

:: back to top ::