Student Interdisciplinary Seminar: Rippe

JP Rippe will present his research on “The Rise of Slime: Understanding the Dynamics of Jellyfish Blooms”

Jellyfish blooms are a natural feature of many coastal and pelagic marine ecosystems. However, within the past two decades, growing concern about the possible rise in frequency and intensity of blooms globally has dominated scientific and media headlines. Widespread anthropogenic changes to the environment, such as rampant overfishing, rising ocean temperatures, and exotic species introductions are believed to be promoting abnormally dense jellyfish populations. This increase has caused severe
economic consequences to regional fishing and tourism industries. The major biological and environmental factors that facilitate jellyfish blooms, including adaptations in life history and reproduction, predator-prey relationships, and global climate cycles will be addressed, providing the context for understanding how humaninduced habitat changes may impact global jellyfish populations. Additionally, recent studies have shown that these population boom-and-bust cycles significantly alter
important biochemical processes in these marine ecosystems. The major findings and implications of this research will be discussed.