Stung!: On Jellyfish Blooms and the Future of the Ocean - Softcover

"A comprehensive summary of the irresistible rise of an arguably unstoppable creature." (Nature) "Stung! evokes the danger of jellyfish blooms but, even more fundamentally, it is about the real effect of the collapsing oceans.... Extremely important, wellwritten, and well documented." (Huffington Post) "This well-researched book is not just about jellyfish, but rather about the current and future state of the world's oceans. Gershwin has done a superb job.... As she guides readers through the basics of jellyfish biology, she shows how the characteristics of these animals make them ideally suited to take over stressed envrionments and gives examples of how they have already done just that.... Highly recommended." (Choice) "Gershwin is a scientist who can write. She is a scientist, a conservationist, a public conscience, and a prophet. 'Prophet' is a mantle which nobody dons willingly because part of the definition of 'prophet' is that nobody listens to the warning until it is too late. It is probably not too late yet. So read Stung!. Then start making noise." (Audubon)"

Our oceans are becoming increasingly inhospitable to life-growing toxicity and rising temperatures coupled with overfishing have led many marine species to the brink of collapse. And yet there is one creature that is thriving in this seasick environment: the beautiful, dangerous, and now incredibly numerous jellyfish. As foremost jellyfish expert Lisa-ann Gershwin describes in Stung!, the jellyfish population bloom is highly indicative of the tragic state of the world's ocean waters, while also revealing the incredible tenacity of these remarkable creatures. In Stung!, Gershwin tells stories of jellyfish both attractive and deadly while illuminating many interesting and unusual facts about their behaviors and environmental adaptations. The story of the jellyfish, as Gershwin makes clear, is also the story of the world's oceans, and Stung! provides a unique and urgent look at their inseparable histories - and future.