Study reveals jellies carve out their own space in the ocean

Gelatinous zooplankton, often called jellies, play a key role in marine food webs. They can be very abundant, and some feed on the millimeter-sized eggs and larvae of fishes. Yet despite their ecological importance, jellies are often overlooked in marine research. Their fragile structures make them difficult to sample and quantify accurately, leaving scientists without answers to even basic questions about where many species live.

A study led by University of Georgia Skidaway Institute of Oceanography (SkIO) faculty member Adam Greer reveals new understanding. Using an underwater imaging system in the Gulf near Perdido Bay, Florida, Greer and his colleagues identified different jellies, mostly to genus level, and mapped where different groups live across seasons. They found that each type of zooplankton tended to live in its own specific area, with very little overlap, even during the fall when wind events and cooling temperatures cause lots of mixing. 

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