Large numbers of jellyfish in Israel – in pictures

Swarms of ghostly jellyfish along Israel's coast have driven summer bathers from Mediterranean waters and raised warnings about the dangers of ecological imbalance caused by climate change. All photos: Reuters
Swarms of ghostly jellyfish along Israel's coast have driven summer bathers from Mediterranean waters and raised warnings about the dangers of ecological imbalance caused by climate change. All photos: Reuters
Beyond stinging swimmers and costing the country $10 million a year in lost tourism, the jellyfish have also been clogging desalination plants and industrial fishing nets as their seasonal numbers grow.
Beyond stinging swimmers and costing the country $10 million a year in lost tourism, the jellyfish have also been clogging desalination plants and industrial fishing nets as their seasonal numbers grow.
'The water gets hotter and hotter and we can see more and more jellyfish,' Guy Lavian, a marine ranger with the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, told Reuters.
'The water gets hotter and hotter and we can see more and more jellyfish,' Guy Lavian, a marine ranger with the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, told Reuters.
'They cause real damage here,' Mr Lavian said. 'You can definitely say that global warming contributes to these massive swarms.'
'They cause real damage here,' Mr Lavian said. 'You can definitely say that global warming contributes to these massive swarms.'
The jellyfish flourish at higher temperatures.
The jellyfish flourish at higher temperatures.
Larger numbers of the creatures leads to higher competition for food and habitats with other species.
Larger numbers of the creatures leads to higher competition for food and habitats with other species.
Overfishing has helped tilt that contest in favour of the jellyfish, the Israel Society of Ecology and Environmental Sciences said.
Overfishing has helped tilt that contest in favour of the jellyfish, the Israel Society of Ecology and Environmental Sciences said.