Keep an eye out for jellyfish along the coast
JELLYFISH don't appear to have a lot going for them – no brain, no bones, no heart, no eyes and only a basic nervous system.
But despite their apparent lack of substance, the Marine Conservation Society is to keen to hear from anyone spotting jellyfish along the East Sussex coast.
As UK coastal waters warm up during the summer, more jellyfish blooms tend to appear, and the MCS is trying to discover more about where and when they occur.
In doing so, it also aims to improve its understanding of leatherback turtles, which migrate thousands of miles to UK waters where they feed on the jellyfish.
Peter Richardson, MCS Biodiversity Programme Manager, said: "The jellyfish survey is an excellent way for people to get involved in finding out more about our threatened seas.
"In some parts of the world jellyfish numbers appear to be increasing, and scientists have linked this to factors such as pollution, over-fishing and possibly climate change."
More than 5,000 jellyfish encounters have been reported since the MCS survey was launched in 2003. Data is being analysed with help from the University of Exeter.
The last three years have shown an increased presence in British waters of hazardous jellyfish, such as the Portuguese Man-of-War.
Mr Richardson said: "Taking part in the jellyfish survey is easy. The full-colour MCS jellyfish photo-ID guide and recording forms can be downloaded from www.mcsuk.org"
But he warned: "The key message is look, but don't touch. Many jellyfish can give a painful sting, so they're best observed at a safe distance."
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Weather for Hastings
Sunday 27 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Light showers
Temperature: 13 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: West
