Jellyfish Lake, Palau
by Sarosh Jacob
(VIDEO BELOW)
Man, that's a lot of Jellyfish.
According to Sarosh Jacob, the creator of the following film, Jellyfish Lake is one heck of an interesting place. First and foremost, it's home to millions and millions of Golden Jellyfish, as the video demonstrates so beautifully. It's a small body of water that, while connected to the surrounding ocean through tunnels, is different enough an environment that a unique niche is created for life. It can be defined as an 'island' in the sense that biologists use the word, in that speciation can occur here. By isolating members of a species from the whole, those members will begin to evolve along a different course than their peers. Different conditions in the new environment will eventually mold a new species, one that can no longer mate with the original.
This of course is the way that evolution works, how fish become reptiles, reptiles become shrews, shrews become primates, and primates become human beings. (well, roughly) In this case, it's how the Spotted Jellyfish became the Golden Jellyfish.
The golden jellyfish are morphologically, physiologically, and behaviorally distinct from the spotted jellyfish. They are easily distinguished from the spotted jellyfish by the almost complete loss of spots on the exumbrella and the almost complete loss of their clubs, an appendage attached to the oral arms." - Wikipedia
Although I didn't find this myself in reading up on the Golden, Sarosh claims that they've also evolved a reduced tendency to sting, due to the lack of natural predators in the lake, which is why one can swim amongst them without fear. In any case, the Wikipedia article is an interesting read, so have a look.
Yes, reading about Jellyfish is interesting enough, at least to a science dork like me. But the video? Actually seeing an environment so otherworldly on your very own computer screen?
Wow.
More from Sarosh below.
Palau is a special place.
Film / Edit: Sarosh Jacob saroshjacob.com
Equipment: Canon 5D Mark II, Simga 15mm Fisheye Lens and Aquatica Housing
Music: Radiohead "Nude"
A little information on Jellyfish Lake…
Jellyfish Lake is located on Eli Malk island in the Republic of Palau. Twelve thousand years ago these jellyfish became trapped in a natural basin on the island when the ocean receded. With no predators amongst them for thousands of years, they evolved into a new species that lost most of their stinging ability as they no longer had to protect themselves. They are pretty much harmless to humans although some people with very sensitive skin may get a minor sting from them. If you are allergic to jellyfish you should wear a wetsuit or protective clothing.
These fascinating creatures survive by sharing a symbiotic relationship with algae that live inside of them. At night, the jellyfish go down to the depths of the lake where the algae feed on nutrients. During the day, the jellyfish come back to the surface and follow the sun across the lake in a massive migration. The algae convert the energy of the sun via photosynthesis into a sugar that feeds the jellyfish.
It is not possible to scuba dive in this lake because the nutrient rich layer at around 50 feet and below contains hydrogen sulphide which is highly toxic to humans. If a scuba diver was to swim in that layer, the toxins would enter the body through the skin and that exposure could be fatal. Snorkeling however, is perfectly safe and if you ever find yourself in Palau one day, you should make your way to this special place. The experience of swimming through millions of jellyfish is quite surreal and Palau is the only place in the world where you can do just that!
I hope you enjoy the video and thank you for watching.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/BradBlogspeed/~3/xCThGvzpr0w/are-you-ready-for-this-much-jelly
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