BALTIMORE (AP) - Residents of Baltimore are spotting jellyfish in the city’s Inner Harbor, and one official points to dry weather and the COVID-19 pandemic as the reason.
Blue Water Baltimore waterkeeper Alice Volpitta says jellyfish prefer warm and salty water, and because the saltier water in the harbor is similar to the middle of Chesapeake Bay, there’s an influx of jellyfish, The Baltimore Sun reported Thursday.
Volpitta said while the influx isn’t uncommon during this dry time of the year, it’s possible more people are noticing because the pandemic has sent people to the promenade, where they’re noticing the jellyfish when they’re walking.
“The fact that people are out and about more, they’re noticing that phenomenon, “ said Laura Page, an educator and skipjack captain serving the Living Classrooms Foundation. ”… It’s really nice to hear people are reacting with the environment in that way.”
National Aquarium curator Jack Cover said sea creatures like stingrays and jellyfish do not typically swim into Baltimore harbors or the Patapsco River, although annual drought seasons are leading to a change in their behavior.
“The end of summer to early fall is when we typically see the most in large numbers, but this varies from year to year,” Cover said.
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