Where is this cam located?
This live cam overlooks the West Coast Sea Nettles exhibit at the Aquarium of the Pacific.
What are sea nettles?
Sea nettles are a genus of jellyfish called Chrysaora. They are popular in aquariums because in addition to being easy to maintain, their beautiful colors and slow propulsions are a gorgeous and relaxing sight.
What exactly are jellyfish?
Jellyfish are marine invertebrates and one of the oldest species on the planet, inhabiting the world's oceans for millions of years. They even pre-date dinosaurs!
Jellyfish get their name from a jelly-like body that is often bell-shaped. Suspended from their bodies are tentacles, which vary in number and size depending on the species.
Where do jellyfish live in the wild?
Jellyfish are found in every ocean in the world. Although they can propel themselves for short distances, they are generally passive drifters and do not actively control their movement or trajectory for sustained periods of time or long distances. The sea nettles seen on this live jellyfish cam can be found on the coastlines of Oregon, California and Baja Mexico.
How do jellyfish reproduce?
Jellyfish have two stages in their life cycle: the "polyp" stage and the "medusa" stage. The large, colorful jellyfish you see on this cam are in the medusa stage.
During reproduction, adult jellyfish will release sperm and eggs into the water. When an egg is fertilized, a planula is formed. The planula is similar to a larva and floats in the ocean until it attaches to the sea floor, plant, coral or another undersea structure. The planula then becomes a polyp, which looks something like a sea anemone; a stalk-like body with tentacles facing upwards.
As they grow, the jellyfish polyp eventually detaches from the structure and enters the adult or medusa stage, in which their tentacles hang down from their bodies.
Why do jellyfish sting?
Many species of jellyfish have tiny stingers on their tentacles that they use both as self-defense and to trap their prey.
When hunting, jellyfish catch their prey using stinging cells called nematocysts. When these nematocysts come in contact with another animal they explode, sending a poison-filled lance into the victim which injects the toxic venom into the bloodstream, often rendering the prey immobile. The capture is then passed up along the length of the tentacles and fed into a small opening at the bottom of the jellyfish's body.
The effect of jellyfish venom on humans varies greatly depending on the type of jellyfish. Some jellyfish stings are hardly noticeable by humans, while others leave a red rash and a mild pain. Some jellies, like the box jellyfish found off the coast of the Philippines and Australia, are deadly.
Vinegar is a common home remedy used to treat jellyfish stings on humans. The vinegar's acidity neutralizes the nematocysts before they can inject venom into the skin.
