Killer Jellyfish swarm hits Scotland prompting warnings*

Reuters
Friday, November 23, 2007; 11:26 AM

LONDON (Reuters) - Millions of stinging jellyfish have been spotted off
Scotland just days after another swarm wiped out Northern Ireland's only
Salmon farm, the Marine Conservation Society said on Friday.

The organization, which said the abnormal swarms of  mauve stinger and
compass jellyfish were due to wind and tidal factors, urged fish farmers
and the public to report any sightings to help monitor their progress.

"It is quite unusual for this number of jellyfish to be occurring in UK
waters at this time of year," said Anne Saunders, MCS Scottish Projects
Officer.

"But these blooms are phenomenal and consist of millions of individuals,
being washed here by strong Atlantic currents."

Compass jellyfish are common in British waters during the summer, but
mauve stingers are relatively uncommon.

In recent years the mauve stinger has bloomed in vast numbers in the
Mediterranean, forming a major bathing hazard.

"Jellyfish swarms can impact on fish and shellfish farms, and while the
conditions causing these current events remain unclear, such swarms may
become more prevalent in Scottish waters as a result of climate change,"
Saunders said.