It’s jellyfish season in Tropical North Queensland, and being able to forecast sting risk for one of the world’s most venomous creatures is one key part of creating a robust early-warning forecasting system.
A NESP TWQ Hub project has identified key factors that lead to an increase in sting risk across Great Barrier Reef coastal regions.
“…Wind direction was found to be the most important predictor, with most areas having greater stings during northwesterly winds and fewer stings during south-easterly winds. Slow wind speeds and incoming tides also led to more Irukandji stings for Cairns Beaches, Cairns Islands, and Townsville Beaches. Tidal height seemed to be important in all areas, except Whitsundays Beaches, with more stings at low tide.”
Monitoring and identification techniques were also improved and developed with the assistance of project partners such as the Yirrganydji Indigenous Land and Sea Ranger Program and Surf Life Saving Queensland.
Check out the full report here: http://bit.ly/2HcC2AC
Photo: Lisa-ann Gershwin