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Invasive Comb Jelly Spreads in Venice Lagoon, Pressuring Fisheries and Prompting EU Appeals

New monitoring identifies predictable bloom windows tied to temperature and salinity.

Overview

  • A two-year study by the University of Padua and OGS documents recurring peaks in late spring and again from late summer into early autumn.
  • Fisheries and aquaculture in the upper and middle Adriatic report falling yields as the predator consumes zooplankton, fish eggs and larvae.
  • The species thrives across broad temperature and salinity ranges, enabling explosive growth in shallow, warm waters like the Venice lagoon.
  • Researchers link its arrival to shipping ballast water, and recent reports note wider occurrences in the Adriatic and Tyrrhenian seas.
  • Italian MEP Anna Maria Cisint calls for EU countermeasures and compensation as experts warn there are few effective tools to control such jellyfish.