They're majestic, mesmerizing, even a little otherworldly. They take on a variety of forms, from bells to toadstools to cauliflower. They're multiplying at what some would consider an alarming rate, and serve as barometers of the health of the world's oceans.
A new exhibit at the National Aquarium in Baltimore focuses on the many facets of "jellies," the brainless, spineless, heartless but beautiful creatures that are known for their ability to sting and can be found around the globe.
Jellies Invasion: Oceans Out of Balance is the title of a $2.2 million exhibit that is to open Saturday in the aquarium's Marine Mammal Pavilion on Inner Harbor Pier 4.
This is the second time Baltimore's aquarium has mounted an exhibit about these gelatinous animals, after the popular Jellies: Phantoms of the Deep from 1996 to 1998.
While that exhibit highlighted the creatures' visual appeal and mysterious nature, the new one has a more ominous message. Although they appear delicate and fragile, these are actually hardy specimens that have been likened to pigeons and cockroaches for their ability to survive in less than ideal conditions. More than 95 percent water, they date back 650 million years, before dinosaurs roamed the earth.
"The exhibit we had before was about the beauty of jellies," said Jack Cover, the aquarium's general curator of fishes and rain forest exhibits. "This exhibit has more of an environmental message. In the time that has gone by [since the first exhibit], our ability to keep jellies in captivity has improved. So we have a much greater variety and more of a conservationist message."
When people think of jellies, they often think about getting stung, Cover added. "But now we know they are also leading indicators about the health of the oceans. Human activities that unintentionally favor jellies can also change the balance of the Earth's aquatic ecosystems. This exhibit tells the whole story of the jellyfish population and what jellies are telling us."
Although they are commonly referred to as jellyfish, the creatures on display are neither fish nor jelly. They are marine invertebrates known as cnidarians, most closely related to sea anemones and corals.
On the first floor of the Marine Mammal Pavilion, the new exhibit shows up to nine different kinds of jellies at any given time. Several can be found in the mid-Atlantic, including the lion's mane, moon jelly and Atlantic sea nettle. Others live farther away, such as the blue blubber jelly, found off the coast of Australia.
