Unveiling nature's slithery secrets
3 November 2023, Rome, Italy – Jellyfish have existed for more than 500 million years and are among the oldest living animals on the planet. Found in all marine ecosystems, even inhabiting the dark depths of the ocean, they often occur in high densities along tropical coastlines.
While there are more than 300 species of large jellyfish, scientists believe many more have not yet been discovered.
Even though these planktonic marine animals play a key role in ocean ecosystems, our understanding of them as a potential resource or as a threat to biodiversity is poor.
So in 2017-2019, when the research vessel Dr. Fridtjof Nansen, the only research vessel to carry the United Nations flag, and its team of scientists discovered several new species of jellyfish off of southern Africa, it was regarded as a significant scientific achievement.