01-05 December 2025
INCOIS, Hyderabad, India.
| Abstract Submission No. | ABS-01-0262 |
| Title of Abstract | Natural and Anthropogenic Controls on Jellyfish Swarming and stranding dynamics in Indian Coastal Waters |
| Authors | Sathish Chennuri*, Sanjiba Kumar Baliarsingh, Alakes Samanta, Sudheer Joseph, T.M. Balakrishnan Nair |
| Organisation | INCOIS |
| Address | INCOIS HYDERABAD, Telangana, India Pincode: 500090 E-mail: s.chennuri-p@incois.gov.in |
| Country | India |
| Presentation | Poster |
| Abstract | Jellyfish strandings and aggregations have become increasingly common along the Indian coastline, yet the environmental and anthropogenic drivers remain poorly understood. This study presents a comprehensive synthesis of historical jellyfish occurrence records, including strandings and swarming events, and systematically analyzes their association with oceanographic, atmospheric, and coastal features. High-resolution Google Earth imagery was used to map and categorize coastal artificial structures including jetties, ports, fishing harbours, coastal bridges, breakwaters, rocky armours, fish culture structures, power plants, seaweed farms, and locations of stationary fishing gears operations while natural coastal features such as estuaries, bays, creek mouths, backwaters, lakes, mangroves, and coral reef zones were also compiled. This study revealed that species like Porpita porpita, Physalia physalis, and Acromitus flagellatus are frequently associated with artificial structures, particularly in close proximity to jetties, coastal bridges, breakwaters, and rocky armours. Among natural features, jellyfish occurrences were more commonly observed near estuaries, followed by creek mouths, bays, backwaters, and mangroves. Analysis of associated environmental factors showed that wind direction is a dominant driver of hydrozoan strandings, especially when aligned with coastward surface currents. Scyphozoan jellyfish strandings occurred under a wider range of conditions, influenced by wind, current, and coastal geomorphology. Aggregations were frequently associated with low-velocity current zones, often formed by mesoscale eddies or seasonal current reversals, etc. This multi-factorial approach highlights the combined influence of environmental forces and coastal infrastructure on jellyfish dynamics, offering insights for predicting future occurrences and informing coastal management practices. |
| Are you part of IIOE-2 endorsed project | no |
| Keywords | Jellyfish strandings; Jellyfish aggregations; Indian coast; Artificial coastal structures; Wind direction; Coastal topography |
| For Awards | yes |
| Date Of Birth | 03-03-1993 |
| ECSN Registration Number | IIOE2-ECSN-0159 |