In Italy, the Gulf of Trieste has been invaded for several days by thousands of jellyfish.
On the city's port, residents surprised by this proliferation of these bluish gelatin invertebrates - whose umbrella can measure up to one meter - have posted many videos of this unusual phenomenon on social networks.
The specimen called "Rhizostoma pulmo", which can be translated as "sea lung", is relatively present in these waters of the Adriatic Sea.
But never in such large quantities.
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According to experts, this exceptional invasion could be partly explained by a strong wind typical of the region, the bora, which has been stirring the waters of the Adriatic for several days and bringing the jellyfish to the surface pushing towards the shore.
But for Valentina Tirelli, researcher at the National Institute of Oceanography in Trieste, climate change could also be the cause of this phenomenon.
“It is certain that the warming of the sea has an impact for these invertebrates.
The fact that they start breeding three weeks or a month earlier shows something.
This dramatic increase in the number of jellyfish indeed seems to be partly linked to global warming.
