MBARI (Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute) | Little red jellies on their daily commute @MBARIvideo | Uploaded August 2023 | Updated October 2024, 4 hours ago.
Little red jellies are commonplace near the deep seafloor in Monterey Bay and around the world. Most of them are small—less than five centimeters (two inches) across—and a ruddy red color, but we know little else about them. Although MBARI researchers have observed them for decades, their role in the food web, what they eat, and what eats them, still largely remain mysteries. MBARI scientists have spent years collecting and analyzing data to distinguish these species from one another based on their shape and form. In 2020, they developed a key to help scientists tell these look-alike species apart through their physical differences, depth distribution, and behavior.
Little red jellies are commonplace near the deep seafloor in Monterey Bay and around the world. Most of them are small—less than five centimeters (two inches) across—and a ruddy red color, but we know little else about them. Although MBARI researchers have observed them for decades, their role in the food web, what they eat, and what eats them, still largely remain mysteries. MBARI scientists have spent years collecting and analyzing data to distinguish these species from one another based on their shape and form. In 2020, they developed a key to help scientists tell these look-alike species apart through their physical differences, depth distribution, and behavior.
