Tag Archives: jellyfish

The ocean covers most of our planet, yet much of it remains out of reach. Scientists have long struggled to study life in the deep sea. Robotic equipment is expensive, and people cannot dive to extreme depths. These issues leave entire marine ecosystems unexplored. Nicole Xu, an engineer at CU Boulder, is confident that her lab’s “cyborg” moon jellyfish can …

Understanding the wakes and vortices that jellyfish produce as they swim is crucial, according to Wu, et al. Particle image velocimetry (PIV) is a vital tool for studying flow phenomena and biomechanical propulsion. PIV essentially tracks tiny tracer particles suspended in water by illuminating them with laser light. The technique usually relies on hollow glass spheres, polystyrene beads, aluminum flakes, …

Jellyfish galaxies are rare cosmic sights where a spiral or disk galaxy trails a luminous tail of gas and new stars across space. That tail forms when the galaxy rams through hot cluster gas and loses its own fuel in a shimmering wake. Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) spotted one such creature on June 23, 2025, naming …

Spaceships modelled on jellyfish, 3D-printed homes, polyamorous relationships and vegetarian diets are among the ways in which experts have envisaged making interstellar travel feasible. The ideas from scientists, engineers, architects and social theorists came in response to a global competition to develop plans for “generation ships”, self-sustaining crafts capable of supporting up to 1,500 people on a 250-year journey to …

In a groundbreaking study published in Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers, researchers have uncovered a curious biological boundary in the ocean that seems to separate two distinct types of jellyfish, despite their genetic similarities. The study, led by marine biologist Javier Montenegro of the University of Western Australia, explores the deep waters of the North Atlantic Ocean, …

In the cold darkness deep beneath the waves of the Arctic Ocean, a hidden barrier appears to separate the haves from the have-nots. There, in the midnight zone more than 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) below the surface, the gossamer jellyfish of the subspecies Botrynema brucei ellinorae drifting in the water column have two distinct shapes. Some have hoods topped by …

A mysterious oceanic barrier is stopping some deep-sea jellyfish in the Arctic from reaching the Atlantic Ocean, a new study has found. The animals, members of the jellyfish subspecies Botrynema brucei ellinorae, inhabit depths between 3,300 and 6,600 feet (1,000 to 2,000 meters) and can be divided into two groups based on whether individual specimens have a knob on their …