Lily
Jellyfish
Research Question:
Do jellyfish deserve their bad reputation?
Hook:
The Box Jellyfish is one of the most venomous animals on earth, and has enough venom to kill 60 adults. No wonder jellyfish have a bad reputation. Do they deserve it? Or is it about time we looked past the net of venom, and see what these animals have to say for themselves?
Source #1
According to Patrick J. Kiger in “Jellyfish Invasion Shuts Down Nuclear Reactor,” published on October 1, 2013, the main idea about this subject is the problem of not having electricity due to a moon jellyfish invasion causing an unplanned shutdown to coastal nuclear reactors.
List facts from the source that support this idea:
1- In Florida in 2011, moon jellyfish caused a massive fish kill in the cooling canal, triggering another unplanned shutdown.
2-There has been a similar outbreak in California in 2008, at the Diablo Canyon 2 Reactor.
3- This happened in Oskarshamn, Sweden, twice. Once in 2005, and again in 2013.
4- According to Anders Österberg, the Oskarshamn Plant’s press officer, the plan to restart is to slowly start some cooling water pumps to try and drain the moon jellyfish back into the sea.
5- The moon jellyfish are quite large, ranging from 2-15 inches in diameter.
Conclusion:
Because of the Moon Jellyfish’s relatively large size, it is not difficult for them to clog most narrow canals, creating an unneeded and unwanted pond of Aurelia Aurita. This can cause loss of electricity, which can become more than a little problematic, seeing as electric devices play such a big role in our everyday lives.
Paragraph:
According to Patrick J. Kiger in “Jellyfish Invasion Shuts Down Nuclear Reactor,” published on October 1, 2013, the main idea about this subject is the problem of not having electricity due to a moon jellyfish invasion causing an unplanned shutdown to coastal nuclear reactors.
In Florida in 2011, moon jellyfish caused a massive fish kill in the cooling canal, triggering an unplanned shutdown. There has been a similar outbreak in California in 2008, at the Diablo Canyon 2 Reactor.
This happened in Oskarshamn, Sweden, twice. Once in 2005, and again in 2013. According to Anders Österberg, the Oskarshamn Plant’s press officer, the plan to restart is to slowly start some cooling water pumps to try and drain the moon jellyfish back into the sea. The moon jellyfish are quite large, ranging from 2-15 inches in diameter.
Because of the Moon Jellyfish’s relatively large size, it is not difficult for them to clog most narrow canals, creating an unneeded and unwanted pond of Aurelia Aurita. This can cause loss of electricity, which can become more than a little problematic, seeing as electric devices play such a big role in our everyday lives.
Source #2
While these Moon Jellyfish are very noticeable, there’s another, not-so-noticeable jellyfish. In the article “The most venomous animals on Earth, ranked,” by CNet, published April 29, 2016, there is a countdown from 31-1, 1 being the Box Jellyfish.
List facts from the source that support this idea:
1- The half-invisible Box Jellyfish are highly venomous, and have enough venom stored inside them to kill 60 adults.
2- Because of its transparent-blue color, Box Jellyfish are almost invisible in the water. By the time you notice a Box Jellyfish is there, you probably already got stung.
3- Why don’t you have a bigger chance of not being stung? The Box Jellyfish can be 10 FEET LONG!!!
4- The jellyfish stings with millions of nematocysts, which are capsules that contain an ejectable thread capable of injecting a hefty amount of venom.
5- If you’re scared now, I won’t say the Box Jellyfish is indestructible. Vinegar can deactivate the Box Jellyfish’s’ sting. Phew!
Conclusion:
The Box Jellyfish poses a tough problem. Should we get rid of them? No. But if we don’t swimmers in Box Jellyfish areas will have to watch out. But Box Jellyfish are deadly. Dangerous. Half-invisible. And they pose a problem we can’t back out of, and yet seems unsolvable.
Paragraph:
While these Moon Jellyfish are very noticeable, there’s another, not-so-noticeable jellyfish. In the article “The most venomous animals on Earth, ranked,” by CNet, published April 29, 2016, there is a countdown from 31-1, 1 being the Box Jellyfish.
The half-invisible Box Jellyfish are highly venomous, and have enough venom stored inside them to kill 60 adults. Because of its transparent-blue color, Box Jellyfish are almost invisible in the water. By the time you notice a Box Jellyfish is there, you probably already got stung. Why don’t you have a bigger chance of not being stung? The Box Jellyfish can be 10 FEET LONG!!!
The jellyfish stings with millions of nematocysts, which are capsules that contain an ejectable thread capable of injecting a hefty amount of venom. If you’re scared now, I won’t say the Box Jellyfish is indestructible. Vinegar can deactivate the Box Jellyfish’s’ sting. Phew!
The Box Jellyfish poses a tough problem. Should we get rid of them? No. But if we don’t swimmers in Box Jellyfish areas will have to watch out. But Box Jellyfish are deadly. Dangerous. Half-invisible. And they pose a problem we can’t back out of, and yet seems unsolvable.
Source #3
On the other hand, jellyfish aren’t always horrible. Marcie Grabowskistates in “Importance of Jellyfish Falls to Deep-Sea Ecosystem Revealed,”published October 15, 2014, that jellyfish are important to the underwater ecosystems, even when they’re dead.
List facts from the source that support this idea:
1- While previous studies of dead jellyfish stated that the “jelly-lakes” dead jellyfish made would just absorb oxygen from the seafloor, dead jellyfish have more predators than scientists previously thought.
2- Scientists deployed underwater cameras onto the seafloor with dead jellyfish, and watched to see if any predators would eat the jellyfish. They were surprised at not only how many sea creatures came, but also how fast the animals consumed the dead jellyfish.
3- Instead of reducing biodiversity by consuming oxygen, dead jellyfish become a food source for a diverse group of different species.
4- Apart from being a useful source of food now, dead jellyfish can be key to preserving some species. As oceans warm, some creatures may die out. But jellyfish are actually taking advantage of the global warming, and since so many creatures eat dead jellyfish, there may still be a food source for the remaining species.
5- Previously, scientists thought that jellyfish just rotted away. But dead jellyfish are consumed so quickly that scientists actually overlooked them!
Conclusion:
Are jellyfish really as bad as we thought? No. Though on the beach, they appear blistered and sunbaked, and in the water, it’s usually a sting, jellyfish are fascinating. They’re tricksters, even if they don’t try to be. And sometimes, they can fool even scientists, who should be studying them (not blaming them for things that need more research).
Paragraph:
On the other hand, jellyfish aren’t always horrible. Marcie Grabowskistates in “Importance of Jellyfish Falls to Deep-Sea Ecosystem Revealed,”published October 15, 2014, that jellyfish are important to the underwater ecosystems, even when they’re dead.
While previous studies of dead jellyfish stated that the “jelly-lakes” dead jellyfish made would just absorb oxygen from the seafloor, dead jellyfish have more predators than scientists previously thought.
Scientists deployed underwater cameras onto the seafloor with dead jellyfish, and watched to see if any predators would eat the jellyfish. They were surprised at not only how many sea creatures came, but also how fast the animals consumed the dead jellyfish. Instead of reducing biodiversity by consuming oxygen, dead jellyfish become a food source for a diverse group of different species.
Apart from being a useful source of food now, dead jellyfish can be key to preserving some species. As oceans warm, some creatures may die out. But jellyfish are actually taking advantage of the global warming, and since so many creatures eat dead jellyfish, there may still be a food source for the remaining species.
Previously, scientists thought that jellyfish just rotted away. But dead jellyfish are consumed so quickly that scientists actually overlooked them!
Are jellyfish really as bad as we thought? No. Though on the beach, they appear blistered and sunbaked, and in the water, it’s usually a sting, jellyfish are fascinating. They’re tricksters, even if they don’t try to be. And sometimes, they can fool even scientists, who should be studying them (not blaming them for things that need more research).
Source #4
Aside from being helpful when they are dead, live jellyfish are also fascinating. Not only are jellyfish a help to marine organisms, they’re also helpful to humans, says Philip Lamb, in “Jellyfish Have Superpowers—And Other Reasons They Don’t Deserve Their Bad Reputation,” published January 5, 2018.
List facts from the source to support this idea:
1- I’m not going to even try hide the fact that jellyfish can cause problems for people. But they can also do much more than cause problems. Jellyfish are a source of medical collagen, which can be used for wound dressings and reconstructive surgery.
2– Who eats jellyfish? Well, evidently, someone does, or else they wouldn’t be on the menu. What? Certainly not on Earth? WRONG. (There might not even be aliens.) In China and Japan, jellyfish are considered a delicacy! And NO, China and Japan are still on Earth–they didn’t float into space.
3- In addition to medicine and food, jellyfish also contribute to the Green Florescent Protein, or GFP, which comes from Crystal Jellies. GFP lets scientists examine how genes work and has proved useful on more than one occasion, such as studying HIV.
4- Jellyfish can even be used in human tissue repair! A study in China in 2018 revealed that a small piece of the Lion’s Mane Jellyfish that was used on damaged human cells encouraged them to multiply and cover the injury.
5- This last little piece of information will startle you. Jellyfish can potentially be used for cancer treatment! Another study uncovered that jellyfish venom is what does the job. Jellyfish venom was used on tumor-bearing mice made the cancer decrease by 82.8%, as long as they didn’t kill the mice along with the cancer using the venom.
Conclusion:
So jellyfish are actually helpful? Maybe not on first sight. But, at least to scientists, they are also incredibly useful. The scientists who discovered how to synthesize GFP from Crystal Jellies were awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry. And what about the jellyfish? They were the ones who had the GFP. Let’s not forget what jellyfish have done for us.
Paragraph:
Aside from being helpful when they are dead, live jellyfish are also fascinating. Not only are jellyfish a help to marine organisms, they’re also helpful to humans, says Philip Lamb, in “Jellyfish Have Superpowers—And Other Reasons They Don’t Deserve Their Bad Reputation,” published January 5, 2018.
I’m not going to even try hide the fact that jellyfish can cause problems for people. But they can also do much more than cause problems. Jellyfish are a source of medical collagen, which can be used for wound dressings and reconstructive surgery.
Who eats jellyfish? Well, evidently, someone does, or else they wouldn’t be on the menu. What? Certainly not on Earth? WRONG. (There might not even be aliens.) In China and Japan, jellyfish are considered a delicacy! And NO, China and Japan are still on Earth–they didn’t float into space.
In addition to medicine and food, jellyfish also contribute to the Green Florescent Protein, or GFP, which comes from Crystal Jellies. GFP lets scientists examine how genes work and has proved useful on more than one occasion, such as studying HIV. Jellyfish can even be used in human tissue repair! A study in China in 2018 revealed that a small piece of the Lion’s Mane Jellyfish that was used on damaged human cells encouraged them to multiply and cover the injury.
This last little piece of information will startle you. Jellyfish can potentially be used for cancer treatment! Another study uncovered that jellyfish venom is what does the job. Jellyfish venom was used on tumor-bearing mice, and, after some time, the tumor size decreased by 82.8%! As long as they didn’t kill the mice along with the cancer using the venom.
So jellyfish are actually helpful? Maybe not on first sight. But, at least to scientists, they are also incredibly useful. The scientists who discovered how to synthesize GFP from Crystal Jellies were awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry. And what about the jellyfish? They were the ones who had the GFP. Let’s not forget what jellyfish have done for us.