Version 1
: Received: 21 July 2023 / Approved: 24 July 2023 / Online: 25 July 2023 (09:00:30 CEST)
How to cite:
Torres Conde, E.G.; Rodríguez Martínez, R.E. The Largest Historical Stranding of Physalia physalis Recorded. Preprints2023, 2023071676. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202307.1676.v1
Torres Conde, E.G.; Rodríguez Martínez, R.E. The Largest Historical Stranding of Physalia physalis Recorded. Preprints 2023, 2023071676. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202307.1676.v1
Torres Conde, E.G.; Rodríguez Martínez, R.E. The Largest Historical Stranding of Physalia physalis Recorded. Preprints2023, 2023071676. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202307.1676.v1
APA Style
Torres Conde, E.G., & Rodríguez Martínez, R.E. (2023). The Largest Historical Stranding of Physalia physalis Recorded. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202307.1676.v1
Chicago/Turabian Style
Torres Conde, E.G. and Rosa Elisa Rodríguez Martínez. 2023 "The Largest Historical Stranding of Physalia physalis Recorded" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202307.1676.v1
Abstract
Historically, Physalis physalis massive stranding events have been infrequent and poorly documented. However, their occurrence can have significant impacts on human health and the stability of coastal ecosystems. In this study we analyze the largest P. physalis stranding event historically recorded affected Cuba’s northwestern coast in December 2022. We counted all colonies during the massive event along ~ 3 km coast, within a 5 m stripe. Density, dimorphic form (left/right-handed), and colony size were quantified using 0.25 m2 quadrat placed every 50 m, 10 m from shoreline. Eighty-five people were stung, with 38 having strong allergic reactions, resulting in a health risk. Over ten thousand colonies were recorded, with the highest mean colony density (29.3 per m2) ever reported. The massive stranding coincided with the lowest Arctic Oscillation index (-2.59) in the past 11 years during December, likely linked to climate change. This led to the emergence of northeasterly winds reaching speeds of up to 24 km/h. Wind direction and speed, coupled with the dominance of left-handed colonies (71.4%), suggest the Sargasso Sea as the possible source of the bloom. The high prevalence of juvenile P. physalis colonies (68 %) likely aligns with the autumn breeding season in the northern hemisphere. The potential causes of P. physalis blooms are still poorly understood. Systematic monitoring of the distribution and abundance of this species should be a research priority considering the potential risk to human health and that the blooms could become more frequent and affect other areas in the Atlantic, given climate change and increasing eutrophication of the oceans.
Keywords
Arctic Oscillation Index; bloom; climate change; health risk; Portuguese man-of-war
Subject
Biology and Life Sciences, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
