"Jellyfish victims double"

From Australia's Sydney Morning Herald:

TWICE as many swimmers were stung by jellyfish last year as in 2005 and the stingers may become even more common because of global warming, an expert warns.

The marine stinger adviser to Surf Life Saving, Dr Lisa-Ann Gershwin, said warmer seas might result in longer jellyfish seasons and larger jellyfish populations.

A Surf Life Saving NSW spokesman said 13,000 people were treated for marine stings in 2005, but that jumped to 26,000 last year.

Dr Gershwin said a study in the Gulf of Alaska had yielded "quite staggering" data to suggest global warming would affect jellyfish. She said the adaptive power of jellyfish must be taken into account.

"Jellyfish have been around for 600 million years," she said. "They have perfected the art of survival and are very good at taking advantage of changing conditions."

If the conditions brought on by global warming suited jellyfish, Dr Gershwin had no doubt populations would flourish...

Mr Hogben agrees there might be some truth in the theory that global warming would affect jellyfish populations.

"You don't see any bluebottles in winter," he said, "so it seems entirely possible that if waters heat up, the bluebottles will stick around for longer."