Project Spotlights
Freshwater Jellyfish: A Mysterious Presence in Our Waterways
Freshwater jellyfish are not actually fish. Instead they are cnidarians, a group that also includes sea urchins and sea stars. These jellies can be recognized by their characteristic flattened bell-shaped body, four longer tentacles and various smaller tentacles.
Megan Nortrup
Preliminary results of an environmental DNA study conducted between the National Park Service and the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science through the Chesapeake Watershed CESU Research Network revealed that freshwater jellyfish are present in all parks in the National Capital Region. They are no bigger than a quarter, are harmless to humans, and have expanded into many North American freshwater systems, yet little is known about them. This study was an effort to learn more; you can read the full article by clicking this link: