SEA IN ISTRIA TEEMING WITH JELLYFISH, CAN CAUSE PAINFUL BURNS AND SKIN SWELLING

PULA, MAY 31 /SRNA/ - The sea in Istria is teeming with jellyfish that can cause painful burns, redness, and skin swelling, prompting experts to warn swimmers to be cautious.

The sea is full of compass jellyfish, a species known for its long tentacles and stinging cells, Croatian media report. Experts cite unusually high sea temperatures as the main reason for this phenomenon, but they expect their numbers to decrease over the next two weeks. In addition to jellyfish, large groups of finned fish (described as an invasive gelatinous species) have also appeared, having arrived in the Adriatic Sea via ballast waters, where they found ideal conditions for living and reproducing. They are not dangerous to humans, but they disrupt the ecosystem's water clarity. With their gelatinous, transparent bodies, they closely resemble jellyfish, except that their bodies are biradially symmetrical and lack stinging cells. Experts emphasize that there is no reason for panic, but that caution is necessary.