Warmer seas and changing ocean conditions may allow jellyfish populations to grow and spread more rapidly, experts say. (Envato Elements pic)KUALA LUMPUR: Sun, sand and crystal-clear water may promise the perfect tropical escape, but an almost invisible danger could be drifting beneath the surface. A translucent piece of "plastic" may actually be a jellyfish.While many species are harmless, others can deliver intensely painful - and potentially fatal - stings.Experts believe jellyfish could emerge among the “biggest winners” of climate change, as warmer seas and changing ocean conditions encourage their growth and spread.Up to 34 jellyfish species have been documented in Malaysian waters, among them the box jellyfish, one of the world’s most venomous marine animals.
Its sting can cause excruciating pain, cardiac arrest and even death within minutes.A 2011 study in the Journal of Travel Medicine documented three fatal box jellyfish stings involving tourists in Malaysia between 2000 and 2010.Recent incidents have renewed concern. In November, a two-year-old Russian boy died after being stung in shallow water at Pantai Cenang, Langkawi.The Langkawi Civil Defence Force subsequently reported 102 jellyfish sting cases around the island over three years, including 73 in 2024.Last August, a seven-year-old girl died after being stung off Pantai Sawangan in Kuala Penyu, Sabah. That same month, about 30 children were stung during an open-water race at Teluk Senangin beach in Lumut, Perak.Blooms on the riseUniversiti Putra Malaysia senior lecturer Wan Syazwan Wan Solahudin said the growing number of jellyfish blooms - sudden surges in their population - was worrying for both marine ecosystems and people."Some species, particularly the Portuguese man o’ war, Irukandji and Chironex species, can cause severe symptoms, complications and even fatalities,” he told Bernama.Rising ocean temperatures can speed up the development of juvenile jellyfish, while El Niño conditions - including warmer, more acidic and oxygen-depleted water - may allow populations to flourish.Jellyfish may also spread into new areas because they require less oxygen and food than many fish and shellfish.A mass jellyfish stranding in Kuala Penyu, Sabah.
Researchers are studying what triggers blooms and why certain species gather in large numbers.In Malaysia, blooms are commonly reported during the warmer…
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