Journal of the Marine Biological Association of India

Massive stranding of gelatinous zooplankton on the west coast of India

Volume 67 Issue 2

Drushita S. Aghera, Niyati K. Gajera and Rahul S. Kundu

doi:10.6024/jmbai.2025.67.2.2628-06

Abstract

A rare event of massive stranding of gelatinous zooplanktons was recorded in September 2022 off the Mangrol shore, Gujarat, the west coast of India. Four gelatinous species- three cnidarians, and one chordate- were recorded in the lot. The cnidarians Porpita porpita and Physalia physalis were stranded in the Indian waters during the post-monsoon. However, a Aurelia sp. and the planktonic tunicate Salpa sp. were the prime components. From satellite-derived data on chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), sea surface temperature (SST), and wind speed, it was observed that plankton blooms occurred during the post-monsoon season, following the mixing of freshwater nutrient components. Additionally, the beach stranding of jellyfish was attributed to their drifting shoreward as a result of wind speed. Thus, we conclude multiple factors may facilitate the movement of jellyfish to the shore, culminating in the mass stranding

Keywords

Mass stranding, jellyfish, thaliacea, MODIS-Aqua, west coast India

Date : 27-11-2025