Many people have negative images of jellyfish, as they are well known to cause problems, if their numbers get out of balance, for example, clogging up waterways so that boats can't get through, to causing power outages when they clog up cooling systems. They can also have a negative impact on the catch for many fishing operations, though some species of jellyfish are now becoming desirable catches themselves.
However, jellyfish are central to many marine ecosystems, and can be entire ecosystems in themselves, offering surfaces for other creatures, such as shrimps to live on and shelter for small fish, who may struggle to find shelter.
This book takes us on a tour through jellyfish, from ancient times (I was astonished to read that there are jellyfish in the fossil record!) to the current day. Here are details of jellyfish locomotion, bioluminescence and their roles in ecosystems.
The book later broadens out to look at more general topics around ocean conservation and offers ideas of how individuals can help conserve marine life.
Blending memoir and science, this is an excellent read for anyone interested in our oceans.
Spineless by Juli Berwald, published (2018) by Penguin Random House.
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I've just had a tiny poem published on the Smols website, you can read it here.
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This week's post on my Crafty Green Poet Substack is all about the sharing economy, you can read it here.
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