“Presumably, the second bloom consists of the first generation emerging from the eggs laid three months back. This is an annual reproductive occurrence for the mauve stinger,” he said.

“What might change or fluctuate each year is basically;

1. The timing when such blooms appear (this year’s blooms appeared very early in the season, suggesting that we might yet again only have small populations of adult jellyfish this summer)

2. The magnitude of the same blooms, which was massive this year and spread out over a large area, extending from north Gozo to south Malta as well as to offshore areas such as Hurd’s Bank.”

“The exact drivers behind such fluctuations are not clear but may be related to climactic ones (example; the type of winter we have in terms of air temperature and rainfall), hydrodynamic ones (sea temperature, currents and storm activity) as well as to human-driven disturbances,” he explained.

“Besides the jellyfish, an increase in the frequency of jellyfish-eating fish (e.g. imperial blackfish) has been observed this year, besides a prolonged cold status for our sea, whose temperature dipped below 15 degrees for several weeks, which is contrary to previous years),” he said.

“Whilst jellyfish blooms have been documented in the Mediterranean since time immemorial, their frequency and intensity have increased in recent decades, leading some to suggest that the Mediterranean is undergoing a ‘fish to jellyfish’ paradigm shift,” he added.

He also added that he doesn’t believe that any fluctuations in jellyfish numbers are related to those in turtle populations “since other more important drivers are at play behind the increasing jellyfish numbers, which include, overfishing, low water quality, climate change, and an increase in man-made structures in the sea”.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Lovin Malta (@lovinmalta)

Here’s how you can treat a mauve stinger sting:

1. Carefully rinse with seawater, do not rub the affected area.
2. If available, apply a mixture of seawater and baking soda (1:1 ratio) for two minutes. This will stop any further release of venom from the stinging cells left on the skin.
3. Use a plastic credit card to remove any residual tentacles and excess baking soda mixture
4. Apply cold packs for 5-15 minutes. For example, use a bag of ice or even cold drink wrapped in a cloth.
5. Assess the degree of pain and reapply cold pack if required for further 5 mins
6. If pain persists, consult a doctor or pharmacist who should prescribe painkillers and/or anti-inflammatory creams e.g. 3-4% Lidocaine and Hydrocortisone.
7. DO NOT wrap in bandages nor use vinegar, fresh water, alcohol and ammonia, all of which can aggravate the situation further.

What do you make of Deidun’s comments?