From jellyfish to 'climate refugee' species, Boero (CNR-IAS): "I'll explain how to respect them without fear."

Marine animals, various fish, and new "alien" species are targeted during the summer season as stinging creatures that disturb well-deserved bathing. "People think of the sea as a swimming pool, but nature isn't like that. There are so many animals that we often see as a threat, but we must instead live with them and not be afraid."

They represent the luminous "magic" of the nighttime sea, but often also a summertime nightmare for swimmers. They are jellyfish, along with other marine animals, various fish, and new "alien" species, targeted during the summer season as disturbers of well-deserved bathing due to their stinging power. But it should be remembered that the sea is a universe rich in living species and not just water. Jellyfish can be erratic , and their proliferation doesn't necessarily occur every season, regardless of the increase in Mediterranean temperatures. The most widespread is the Pelagia noctiluca, which swims up marine canyons and—thanks to currents—reaches the surface. These phenomena are cyclical, so the presence of jellyfish isn't as predictable as weather forecasts; we don't have data to analyze like meteorologists. There are reports from those at sea, so it's possible that the presence of jellyfish in Italian seas will increase tomorrow, or it was already there in June and we didn't notice because the bathing season hadn't started yet." Ferdinando Boero, a jellyfish expert and associate professor of Zoology at the CNR-IAS Institute (Institute for the Study of Anthropogenic Impacts and Sustainability in the Marine Environment) in Genoa, provided the situation to Adnkronos Salute .

In the past, "one place where jellyfish rose from the deep sea and approached the coasts was the Aeolian Islands," he continues, "but let's say that wherever there are underwater canyons and currents, these animals can rise, and then move along the coasts of Sicily and Calabria until they reach the island of Elba, where they find a kind of 'reef'. This doesn't mean there will be many jellyfish on Elba. It's not a prediction, but a description of what happens with the sea currents and the jellyfish's path . In the Adriatic, there are often other jellyfish like the Rhizostoma pulmo and the Aurelia aurita, the latter of which stings very little. While the Pelagia is very stinging and has tentacles up to 10 meters long. Then there are box jellyfish like the Carybdea, also in the Adriatic, which hurts if it stings, but the effects are short-lived. Then there's the Rhizostoma pulmo, which looks like a fried egg, and is beautiful." and it doesn't have long tentacles, so you can observe it if you wear a mask. Let's be clear," Boero warns, " there are no deadly species in the Mediterranean . There was an isolated case some time ago of a person dying after being struck by a Portuguese man-of-war that entered the Strait of Gibraltar and sailed up to Sicily, but this person also had heart problems. If we consider that in Australia there are box jellyfish that can kill in a few minutes..."

If you encounter a jellyfish, what should you do? "It's best not to swim or wear a T-shirt and pants, as Americans do," the expert suggests. "If you get stung, absolutely don't rub the affected area; don't wash it with fresh water, but with salt water. Then take a health card or a credit card and run it like a razor over the affected area to remove the tentacles with the stinging organelles that remain activated even after contact between the skin and the jellyfish . The tentacles should not be removed from the card or credit card with your hands because if you then touch your eyes, the stinging effect can spread to other areas. Be careful, jellyfish often beach themselves," he continues, "but they should still not be touched. Some people catch them and throw them on the beach to kill them, but they are animals and have a right to exist. Remember that they were in the sea long before us and have the right to live their lives."

What's happening to marine animals as sea temperatures rise? "Tropical jellyfish are arriving through the Suez Canal. In the eastern Mediterranean, they've caused damage to watermakers because they arrive in very large swarms that, if sucked in, can damage the equipment," the scientist replies. "A nomadic Rhopilema has been spotted in Cagliari, but I don't know of it invading the western Mediterranean."

But the sea isn't just home to jellyfish that can sting. "There's the poisonous lionfish, which also arrived in the Mediterranean and settled here. Then there's the poisonous Lagocephalus sceleratus, like the famous pufferfish, which also arrived from the Indian and Pacific Oceans. These are species that are suffering from climate change and, when waters are too warm, flee to the South or North to find better living conditions. The Mediterranean is one of these areas; they are 'climate refugees' fleeing harsh living conditions for a more welcoming 'home.' It's very similar to that of certain populations," Boero concludes.

In conclusion, "People who go to the beach today expect to find a swimming pool, but nature isn't like that. There are so many animals that we often see as a threat, but we must instead live with them and not be afraid. We've enshrined biodiversity in the Constitution, but—the professor concludes—then we forget that jellyfish are part of biodiversity . Let's not deprive children of contact with nature, who have a spirit and an innate propensity for animals and the ecosystem."