Earth’s environment is a complex construction with multiple parts that are all important to its success. Even creatures like jellyfish cannot be ignored when considering this delicate construction. As humans manipulate the environment, conditions are beginning to favor jellyfish and promote large population explosions. The effects of these large populations have a myriad of effects on humans and can be applied to ecological dynamics found in Margaret Atwood’s A Handmaid’s Tale.
The manipulation of the environment by humans is the first factor that has begun to promote the jellyfish dystopia. As humans change the environment, conditions are beginning to favor jellyfish. In an environment that largely favors them, a population explosion and accompanying jellyfish dystopia is inevitable. These population explosions are a great leap toward the jellyfish dystopia. Throughout the marine environment, humans have begun overfishing in multiple marine environments. This opens niches in the oceanic food webs. These niches, or spaces in the food webs, result from the removal of predators that would previously control the jellyfish population (Stone). In the absence of their predators, the jellyfish population is free to expand and forms blooms, or large jellyfish populations. The jellyfish themselves then prevent the native fish population from rebounding by feeding on the fish eggs (Stone). Human proceed to fish in these areas again, and the jellyfish predation decreases to a greater degree. Humans also improve conditions for jellyfish as we allow pollution levels to rise. Devices like cars are contributors to the carbon dioxide levels. As the CO2 levels rise, this also affects the oceans. They slowly are becoming more acidic and becomin...
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...er what manipulating this environment may due to the jellyfish. Unfortunately, in many cases we are improving conditions for them and as a result degrading our own situation.
Works Cited
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Pauly, Daniel. "Aquacalypse Now." The New Republic. Mike Rancilio, 9 Sept. 2009. Web. 01 May 2012.
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Stone, Richard. "Massive Outbreak of Jellyfish Could Spell Trouble for Fisheries." Yale Environment 360. Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, 13 Jan. 2011. Web. 01 May 2012.
Vince, Gaia. "Jellyfish Blooms Creating Oceans of Slime." BBC.com. British Broadcasting Company, 5 Apr. 2012. Web. 1 May 2012.
In this entertaining, search into global fish hatcheries, New York Times writer Paul Greenberg investigates our historical connection with the ever changing ocean and the wild fish within it. In the beginning of the book Paul is telling his childhood fishing stories to his friends, that night Paul discovers that that four fish dominate the world’s seafood markets in which are salmon, tuna, cod, and bass. He tries to figure out why this is and the only logical answer he could come up with is that four epochal shifts caused theses wild fish population to diminish. History shows that four epochal shifts happen within fifteen years causing certain fish species populations to diminish. He discovers for each of the four fish why this happened to
Spiegal, Jan E. "Unsound Proposal?: Concern On The Coast, Classical Conflict Again Unfolds: Energy vs. Environment." Hartford Courant 16 Oct. 2005, 3 Stars/Final ed., sec. A. Bigchalk Database. 8 Nov. 2005.
MacDonald, Elizabeth . "SeaWorld of Problems." Fox Business. N.p., 16 Jan. 2014. Web. 8 Mar. 2014. .
Clincher: Unless we change the way we view our oceans, jellyfish might be the only seafood on the menu in the near future.
Schroeder, Richard C. “Should We Scuttle the Admiral of the Ocean Sea?” The Times of the Americas. 29 May 1991: 20+. (CIRS Schroed1.ART)
The Documentary, Swimming South is a small clip from the show ‘60 Minutes’ which attempts to highlight the up and coming threat of a dangerous species of marine life, known as the Irukandji jellyfish. Using basic documentary techniques such as expert opinion, survivor recounts and compelling footage they are able to educate the public on the subject of Irukandji jellyfish migrating down the coast of Queensland. This documentary positions the viewer to be afraid of this unstoppable and undetectable monster which is ‘coming to a beach near you’.
"Oceans." Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection. Detroit: Gale, 2014. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 8 May 2014.
The Mnemiopsis jellyfish is growing in numbers everyday, causing power plant problems in the Sea of Japan. In my article that was used for research it states that, “The Sea of Japan is filled with jellyfish and is disturbing the ecology and clogging our power plants – Stated a local High School student” This is a fact that can’t be ignored. A plan needs to develop quickly!
the history of our mission to conquer the underwater world.” Geographical Aug. 2005:54+. Student Edition. 3 Nov. 2009 .
Cohat, Yves. The Vikings: Lords of the Seas. Trans. Ruth Daniel. New York: A Times Mirror Company, 1992. Print.
Similarly, without corals to take in carbon dioxide, the amount of gas in the atmosphere will increase, thus affect all life negatively. Hence, it is clear that overfishing has dreadful ecological
the Sea, and John Gabriel Borkman, Vol. 2. Trans. Rolf Fjelde. New York: Penguin, 2001. 1-81. Print.
In the 11th century, there has been overfishing in the economic regions. Starting the 14th century and through the 19th century there has been fierce discussions about overfishing. Once fishermen caught a lot of fish in that specific area, they just moved on to a different spot from there. Beginning the 21st century the overfishing crisis has turned into a global threat to the oceans.
Overfishing is one of the biggest threats to the ocean ecosystem because it not only destroys the environment that surrounds