JBS-01 Environmental drivers of natural and problematic jellyfish blooms

 

Jellyfish populations fluctuate across multiple temporal and spatial scales. Globally, they exhibit multi-decadal cycles but individual populations at regional levels may fluctuate by orders of magnitude from year to year. Consequently the magnitude, timing and location of bloom events are often very difficult to predict which makes it challenging for ecosystem models to forecast future trends. Identifying the natural and anthropogenic biotic and abiotic environmental conditions that regulate bloom dynamics is, however, essential for understanding jellyfish population ecology, for capitalising on the ecosystem services they provide and for developing strategies for predicting and managing problematic and unnatural bloom events. We invite talks that aim to identify the environmental drivers of blooms at all spatial and temporal scales, particularly those studies that identify mechanisms linking metabolism to ecosystem level processes.

 

Chairs:

Kylie Pitt - Griffith University (Australia)

Rob Condon - University of North Carolina Wilmington (USA)

Carlos M. Duarte - King Abdulah University for Science and Technology (Saudi Arabia)