Center for Fisheries Research & Development
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Jellyfish Invasion - 2000
A non-indigenous jellyfish, Phyllorhiza punctata, invaded the northern Gulf of Mexico in May 2000.
- The sea jellies doubled in size in Mississippi waters due to an abundant food supply
- They were present in huge numbers in western Mississippi Sound.
A population explosion of the native moon jellyfish, Aurelia aurita, followed the P. punctata invasion.
Jelly Fish Invasion Concerns
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Jellyfish are filter feeders; feeding is continuous
- Consume zooplankton
- From Gulf of Mexico Estuarine Inventory (GMEI) studies, highest concentration of plankton found in late summer/early fall
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High zooplankton abundance and jellyfish congregation coincide
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