Sea Nettles !

[E.L.Green]

There was a recent article in a paper stating that the new plastic docks and bulkheads could be a major factor with the problem of sea nettles in the Barnegat Bay. Apparently it is an easier texture to cling to and are able to produce more and more offspring. It is so bad in this area sometimes you cant even go for a swim as they are everywhere. This is in addition to the fertilizer run off, warm waters climbing into the high 70s, as well as no threat of predators. It is really frustrating with all the high temps the past week and anchoring up and not even being able to jump in ! The only time I was able to get wet was when I had to replace a rudder line which took about 10 minutes and i was getting stung the entire time.

[GordMay]

Sea nettles have always been a part of the Barnegat Bay’s ecosystem; their apparent increase in abundance is a relatively recent phenomenon.

A number of potential causes for this increase have been suggested by scientists. Increased development around the bay, including bulkheads, pilings, and floating docks, may be providing more places for the scyphistoma to attach.

A single floating dock can hold thousands of scyphistoma, which asexually produce millions of jellyfishes, such as sea nettles. Sea nettles, and some other jellyfish, have a relatively narrow salinity preference, so development of the waterfront within that salinity zone, especially pilings, floating docks, and bulkheads, may have inadvertently contributed to the spread of sea nettles and other jellyfish.

More ➥ Sea nettles in Barnegat Bay

And ➥ Barnegat Bay under siege by sea nettles, polluted runoff | The Asbury Park Press | APP.com

[bstreep]

Weird. I grew up on LBI, and Barnegat Bay. My grand parents had a place on the Eastern Shore of MD, on the Chesapeake. I remember nettles in the Chesapeake, but I NEVER remember sea nettles in Barnegat Bay!

[chris07732]

I live in Highlands, NJ, on the Shrewsbury River, north of Barnegat Bay. We've been plagued by sea nettles past years, but have seen very few this year. Don't know why, but I assumed that it was a region wide phenomenon. Sorry to hear Barnegat is still infested, it really changes your enjoyment of the water.

[osirissail]

If you Google sea nettles and any coastal State on the east coast of the USA you will find pages of stories about beaches being shut down by the huge increases.
- - In Florida's Cocoa Beach a few weeks ago, we we eating at the Pier and noticed thousands of people on the beaches in the beautiful weather - but - nobody in the water. The sea nettles were even washing up with the waves and folks had to stay up on the dry sand areas.
- - Every now and then somebody would tie to enter the water and quickly reversed course back to the beach swatting and scratching their legs.
- - Obviously this is all caused by private small cruising boats and not run off from land owners and companies so expect further regulations soon against us.