Jellyfish Bloom on African Coast

Image by: Matko Biljak/Reuters/Corbis
A medusa floats in the sea near the Adriatic town of Split, Croatia. Medusae are one of the species of jellyfish responsible for the bloom on the Namibian coast.

Critics of the fishing industry have long predicted that if over-fishing continues for much longer, "junk species" like jellyfish will start filling up the vacancies.

Until recently, there was no evidence that the prediction would come true. But along the coast of Southern Africa, famously productive fisheries have crashed in recent years. In a new paper, English scientists say the spot on the food chain long occupied by these fish has now been filled by the largest jellyfish boom ever measured.

These jellyfish are said to be so dense that they cause trawling nets to burst at the seams. It is estimated that some 12 tons of jellyfish exist within the bloom.

It is also thought that this bloom could be part of a long cycle wjich has not been recorded; a cycle spanning 30 to 40 years between.

For more check it out on NPR.org.