Alan Deidun from the IOI-MOC at the University of Malta is coordinating the organisation of a MED-JELLYRISK conference and training seminar, in commemoration of the European Maritime Day, which will be held on 20 May at the Corinthia St George’s Hotel in St Julian’s, to showcase the diverse array of tools which have been developed within the project to address the jellyfish bloom phenomenon.
These tools include a smart phone application, which has just been launched by the IOI-MOC for both iOS (iPhone) and Android platforms and which gives the user information about different jellyfish species and about local beaches, a water-proof factsheet which answers the most common questions about jellyfish blooms, mathematical models to predict the dispersion of jellyfish blooms once these are sighted in open waters and a waterproof booklet with scientific advice as how to treat the stings of different jellyfish species.
The second day, 21 May, will feature a training seminar on the beach at St. George’s Bay, including a demonstration of how the MED-JELLYRISK anti-jellyfish nets are deployed and training for local lifeguard groups by pharmacists specialised in the treatment of stings and injuries from venomous animals. The conference and training seminar is being attended by world-renowned experts in the field of jellyfish blooms, by the local tourism industry, by SCUBA diving clubs and even by local councils and NGO’s. Those present will also be presented with packs of jellyfish-themed postcards. More information about the MED-JELLYRISK conference and training seminar can be obtained directly from Dr Deidun on [email protected] or from 79604109.
The University of Malta participates in this project through the IOI-MOC and the Department of Biology. The MED-JELLYRISK Project is funded under the ENPI-CBC Mediterranean Sea Basin Programme 2007-2013, co-financed by the European Union. The multilateral cross-border cooperation "Mediterranean Sea Basin Programme" is part of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) and of its financing instrument (European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument - ENPI). The programme is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (90% EU funds; 10% MT funds).
Jellyfish smart phone app and photography competition
The MED-JELLYRISK smart phone application is finally available for free download, both for Android (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jelly.med.mobileapp) and iPhone (https://itunes.apple.com/LY/app/id868757617?mt=8) platforms.
The application provides the user with information on the facilities and amenities on different Maltese beaches as well as a weather forecast for the same beaches, besides information on different jellyfish species and on how to treat their stings. As of early June, the application will also provide users with a jellyfish occurrence forecast for the different beaches. Users can take photos with their smart phones and submit jellyfish reports through the same application. Such photos will be entered into a photographic competition, as well as jellyfish photos taken by conventional means (camera), with the best photos in both categories being awarded with a smart phone and underwater camera, respectively. Competition regulations are available from http://jellyrisk.eu, where participants need to register. The application was developed by the Alert group and Dr. Alan Deidun and Mr. Denis Cutajar from the IOI-MOC at the University of Malta as part of the MED-JELLYRISK project, within which the Department of Biology is also participating.
During the 3rd week of April, a previously undocumented species of jellyfish was photographed by Pete Bullen off the coast of Gozo, and submitted to the Spot the Jellyfish campaign (www.ioikids.net/jellyfish). According to marine biologist Dr. Alan Deidun, the species in question - Physophora hydrostatica - is a siphonophore which is known from most seas around the world and which inflicts a painful sting. Its common name is that of hula skirt jellyfish, and it consists of a float and a series of swimming bells which occupy half the length of the jellyfish. The species can modify its position in the water column by controlling the amount of gas in its float, much like a SCUBA diver does with his BCD.