AN EXPERT due to fly to Phuket to help determine whether deadly box jellyfish are a threat to the island's tourist industry has cancelled her trip.
The cancellation comes as a result of travel warnings over the week-long occupation by anti-government protesters of Bangkok's two major airports.
It's a setback in the race to establish whether box jellyfish are likely to spread from the single Phuket cove they now inhabit to the island's swimming beaches, especially those on the popular west coast.
The box jellyfish, capable of killing within minutes, were discovered in Phuket waters for the first time this year following the stinging death of a young Swedish tourist at a Krabi beach in April.
Marine biologists need to establish quickly whether the juvenile ''boxies'' at Nam Bor Bay, on Phuket's east coast, are likely to migrate once they reach maturity.
Despite a complimentary flight offered by Australian budget airline Jetsar, Dr Dr Lisa-ann Gershwin, Senior Advisor at Australian Marine Stinger Advisory Services, said in an email on Sunday that she could not make the journey to Phuket on December 15.
''Due to the recent political events in Thailand, the American and Australian Departments of Foreign Affairs have both issued travel warnings against citizens travelling to Thailand for the immediate future,'' she wrote.
''Because I am travelling from/to Australia on an American passport, I am not in a position to travel to Thailand at this time.
''I am deeply saddened by these temporary setbacks and look forward to resuming our project to assess and manage the box jellyfish problem once things stabilise.
''This is not a decision that I have made lightly, but after tracking [Australian] Foreign Affairs Department warnings for the past week, I feel that I must comply with these warnings.''
Australia and the US are among more than 24 countries that issued travel warnings in the wake of the airport invasion that has cost Thailand's tourism industry billions of baht, and probably thousands of jobs in 2009.
It would be doubly tragic if the airport occupation also inadvertently prevented marine scientists from speeding research on the deadly box jellyfish and determining how the present infestation can best be controlled.
Although marine researchers say there is no indication that box jellyfish are present on western beaches or will spread to them, would-be tourists and resort managements are rightly concerned.
Phuket marine biologists, short on funding, do not had the resources to undertake a speedy, complete survey of Phuket's coast for the presence of box jellyfish.
While the biologists are reasonably certain the potential killers on Phuket are isolated so far at one mangrove-ringed east coast cove, more specimens have been found at Koh Lanta recently, off the beach where the Swedish girl died.
The visit by Dr Gershwin could have resolved with adequate speed many issues associated with the surprising discovery of box jellyfish in the Phang Nga Bay region.
Deaths and serious stings have previously been reported in Thailand, but in the Gulf of Thailand, on the opposite side of the Isthmus of Kra peninsula.
At present, there is no way of knowing for sure whether the Phuket infestation of box jellyfish poses a potential danger to the island's tourist beaches, or whether the rapidly maturing creatures and their predecessors have been living at Nam Bor Bay, undisturbed and undiscovered, for a lengthy period.
A public seminar on box jellyfish in Bangkok, organised by the Bureau of Epidemiology for December 18, is expected to draw interest from resorts around the Andaman and the Gulf of Thailand.
Research on Phuket is continuing under Dr Somchai Bussarawit, the chief of the museum and aquarium at the Phuket Marine Biological Centre.
His knowledge of box jellyfish has expanded rapidly since two varieties of box jellyfish were discovered here.
Dr Gershwin's email added: ''Speaking on behalf of my colleagues and very sincerely for myself, we look forward to continuing to help in any way that we can, in order to maintain the momentum of teamwork that we have built with Dr Somchai and others.
''Wishing Thailand a peaceful transfer of government and a mild box jellyfish season, Sincerely, Lisa.''
Phuket Jellyfish Alert: The Biggest Test Yet?
Photo Album 'Sun, surf, sand ... but deadly jellyfish cast shadow on Phuket.' Hong Kong readers learn about Phuket's biological crisis.
Phuket Jellyfish Alert: The Biggest Test Yet?
Phuket Box Jellyfish: Are We In Danger?
Photo Album Virtually every day now, box jellyfish are being found at a spot not far from Phuket City as marine biologists puzzle over their unexpected presence. Should we be alarmed?
Phuket Box Jellyfish: Are We In Danger?
Phuket Jellyfish Alert: Expert To Fly In, Seminar Too
More accurate information should become available about the dangerous box jellyfish discovered on Phuket's east coast after an expert flies in for further research.
Phuket Jellyfish Alert: Expert To Fly In, Seminar Too
Phuket Alert: Expert Guide to Jellyfish
The box jellyfish found in a Phuket bay have probably always been here, says an expert. She shatters some of the myths and offers hope for safety programs to prevent deaths and injuries.
Phuket Alert: Expert Guide to Jellyfish
Phuket Jellyfish Alert: No Cause For Panic
The Governor of Phuket hears a briefing on the Phuket box jellyfish alert and suggests continuing research, alerting people to the dangers and the treatment of stings, and avoiding panic
Phuket Box Jellyfish:'No Cause For Panic'
Phuket Jellyfish Alert: Governor To Decide
Box Jellyfish continue to be taken from waters close to Phuket City, with distribution of the vinegar that can treat stings about to begin. The governor is to meet a leading marine centre researcher on Monday.
Phuket Jellyfish Alert: Governor To Decide
Phuket Box Jellyfish: Biologist Sounds Alert
Phuket's Marine Biological Centre has issued an alert over the presence of box jellyfish in waters off Krabi and Phuket. Scientists are continuing to try to define more clearly the dangers, without unnecessary alarm.
Phuket Box Jellyfish: Biologist Sounds Alert
Box Jellyfish Found Off Phuket: Death in Krabi
The death of a tourist off Krabi and the discovery of a non-fatal form of box jellyfish off Phuket bring a call for help - and a claim that many more deaths go unrecorded.
Box Jellyfish Found Off Phuket: Death in Krabi
The cancellation comes as a result of travel warnings over the week-long occupation by anti-government protesters of Bangkok's two major airports.
It's a setback in the race to establish whether box jellyfish are likely to spread from the single Phuket cove they now inhabit to the island's swimming beaches, especially those on the popular west coast.
The box jellyfish, capable of killing within minutes, were discovered in Phuket waters for the first time this year following the stinging death of a young Swedish tourist at a Krabi beach in April.
Marine biologists need to establish quickly whether the juvenile ''boxies'' at Nam Bor Bay, on Phuket's east coast, are likely to migrate once they reach maturity.
Despite a complimentary flight offered by Australian budget airline Jetsar, Dr Dr Lisa-ann Gershwin, Senior Advisor at Australian Marine Stinger Advisory Services, said in an email on Sunday that she could not make the journey to Phuket on December 15.
''Due to the recent political events in Thailand, the American and Australian Departments of Foreign Affairs have both issued travel warnings against citizens travelling to Thailand for the immediate future,'' she wrote.
''Because I am travelling from/to Australia on an American passport, I am not in a position to travel to Thailand at this time.
''I am deeply saddened by these temporary setbacks and look forward to resuming our project to assess and manage the box jellyfish problem once things stabilise.
''This is not a decision that I have made lightly, but after tracking [Australian] Foreign Affairs Department warnings for the past week, I feel that I must comply with these warnings.''
Australia and the US are among more than 24 countries that issued travel warnings in the wake of the airport invasion that has cost Thailand's tourism industry billions of baht, and probably thousands of jobs in 2009.
It would be doubly tragic if the airport occupation also inadvertently prevented marine scientists from speeding research on the deadly box jellyfish and determining how the present infestation can best be controlled.
Although marine researchers say there is no indication that box jellyfish are present on western beaches or will spread to them, would-be tourists and resort managements are rightly concerned.
Phuket marine biologists, short on funding, do not had the resources to undertake a speedy, complete survey of Phuket's coast for the presence of box jellyfish.
While the biologists are reasonably certain the potential killers on Phuket are isolated so far at one mangrove-ringed east coast cove, more specimens have been found at Koh Lanta recently, off the beach where the Swedish girl died.
The visit by Dr Gershwin could have resolved with adequate speed many issues associated with the surprising discovery of box jellyfish in the Phang Nga Bay region.
Deaths and serious stings have previously been reported in Thailand, but in the Gulf of Thailand, on the opposite side of the Isthmus of Kra peninsula.
At present, there is no way of knowing for sure whether the Phuket infestation of box jellyfish poses a potential danger to the island's tourist beaches, or whether the rapidly maturing creatures and their predecessors have been living at Nam Bor Bay, undisturbed and undiscovered, for a lengthy period.
A public seminar on box jellyfish in Bangkok, organised by the Bureau of Epidemiology for December 18, is expected to draw interest from resorts around the Andaman and the Gulf of Thailand.
Research on Phuket is continuing under Dr Somchai Bussarawit, the chief of the museum and aquarium at the Phuket Marine Biological Centre.
His knowledge of box jellyfish has expanded rapidly since two varieties of box jellyfish were discovered here.
Dr Gershwin's email added: ''Speaking on behalf of my colleagues and very sincerely for myself, we look forward to continuing to help in any way that we can, in order to maintain the momentum of teamwork that we have built with Dr Somchai and others.
''Wishing Thailand a peaceful transfer of government and a mild box jellyfish season, Sincerely, Lisa.''
Jellyfish Photo Albums
Phuket Jellyfish Alert: The Biggest Test Yet?
Photo Album 'Sun, surf, sand ... but deadly jellyfish cast shadow on Phuket.' Hong Kong readers learn about Phuket's biological crisis.
Phuket Jellyfish Alert: The Biggest Test Yet?
Phuket Box Jellyfish: Are We In Danger?
Photo Album Virtually every day now, box jellyfish are being found at a spot not far from Phuket City as marine biologists puzzle over their unexpected presence. Should we be alarmed?
Phuket Box Jellyfish: Are We In Danger?
Essential Reading
Phuket Jellyfish Alert: Expert To Fly In, Seminar Too
More accurate information should become available about the dangerous box jellyfish discovered on Phuket's east coast after an expert flies in for further research.
Phuket Jellyfish Alert: Expert To Fly In, Seminar Too
Phuket Alert: Expert Guide to Jellyfish
The box jellyfish found in a Phuket bay have probably always been here, says an expert. She shatters some of the myths and offers hope for safety programs to prevent deaths and injuries.
Phuket Alert: Expert Guide to Jellyfish
Phuket Jellyfish Alert: No Cause For Panic
The Governor of Phuket hears a briefing on the Phuket box jellyfish alert and suggests continuing research, alerting people to the dangers and the treatment of stings, and avoiding panic
Phuket Box Jellyfish:'No Cause For Panic'
Phuket Jellyfish Alert: Governor To Decide
Box Jellyfish continue to be taken from waters close to Phuket City, with distribution of the vinegar that can treat stings about to begin. The governor is to meet a leading marine centre researcher on Monday.
Phuket Jellyfish Alert: Governor To Decide
Phuket Box Jellyfish: Biologist Sounds Alert
Phuket's Marine Biological Centre has issued an alert over the presence of box jellyfish in waters off Krabi and Phuket. Scientists are continuing to try to define more clearly the dangers, without unnecessary alarm.
Phuket Box Jellyfish: Biologist Sounds Alert
Box Jellyfish Found Off Phuket: Death in Krabi
The death of a tourist off Krabi and the discovery of a non-fatal form of box jellyfish off Phuket bring a call for help - and a claim that many more deaths go unrecorded.
Box Jellyfish Found Off Phuket: Death in Krabi
This is an article from News 24 in South Africa......
Jellyfish gone wild 13/12/2008 13:41 - (SA)
Washington - Huge swarms of stinging jellyfish and similar slimy animals are ruining beaches in Hawaii, the Gulf of Mexico, the Mediterranean, Australia and elsewhere, US researchers reported on Friday.
The report says 150 million people are exposed to jellyfish globally every year, with 500 000 people stung in the Chesapeake Bay, off the US Atlantic Coast, alone.
Another 200 000 are stung every year in Florida, and 10 000 are stung in Australia by the deadly Portuguese man-of-war ( Box Jelly Fish ), according to the report, a broad review of jellyfish research.
The report, available on the internet at www.nsf.gov, says the Black Sea's fishing and tourism industries have lost $350m because of a proliferation of comb jelly fish.
The jellyfish eat the eggs of fish and compete with them for food, wiping out the livelihoods of fishermen, according to the report.
And it says a third of the total weight of all life in California's Monterey Bay is made up of jellyfish.
Human activities that could be making things nice for jellyfish include pollution, climate change, introductions of non-native species, overfishing and building artificial structures such as oil and gas rigs.
Creatures called salps cover up to 100,000 sq km of the North Atlantic in a regular phenomenon called the New York Bight, but researchers quoted in the report said this one may be a natural cycle.
"There is clear, clean evidence that certain types of human-caused environmental stresses are triggering jellyfish swarms in some locations," William Hamner of the University of California Los Angeles says in the report.
These include pollution-induced "dead zones", higher water temperatures and the spread of alien jellyfish species by shipping.
- Reuters
Posted by Graham on December 13, 2008 18:50