Sea nettles in Barnegat Bay, NJ

Thanks for the info Dom.

The sad part is that it took them 4 years to say it's going to take some time to resolve the issue (I'm guessing another 3 years at best?). But, the good part is that they officially recognized the issue and are looking to work on improving the situation.

75 Days to flush the Bay? That's pretty much the whole summer.
 
Further south, in Great Egg Harbor, we are just starting to see them. Nothing like it was 2 years ago when the water was fill of them this time of the year. I think the colder water has set them back a bit this year.
 
Great links Dom,

I am afraid that this problem is never going to go away and will change the way we enjoy the bay forever. As long as I can remember I have been in the bay off a boat every summer weekend. This summer I think I have been in twice. Once in the Manasquan during the flood tide just West of the 35 bridge where we we basically swimming in cold sea water and one other time at Governors Cut when there were no jellies. We have started taking the kids to the beach to swim in the ocean instead and are doing other things with the boat.... very unfortunate.

Jon
 
The Gov. cut and Tice's could be the best choice to get away from jellies. But we found TR being a better option vs. Silver Bay. I'm in the water every weekend, even for a short swim if I see number of jellies. I'm thinking that a bit more current and tide change could be the factor. I wander if other rivers have also fewer amount of jellies than the bay. On July 12th we had a raft up by Pelican's Isl. and there wasn't too many of them either. Based on my observation so far, calmer, warmer and fresher water has more of them. As you get closer to the inlets you'll see very few or none of them. Month of august could be a little different when ocean warms up and jellies arrive there as well. But, I doubt that it's as bad as the bay.
 
My observation is that in the bay deeper and cooler water is better. Getting a close to the inlets and the ocean water seems to be best. I think this is why you dont here many complaints about Tices because of it location relative to the Barnegat Inlet. In my opinion the are worse then ever this year. I saw them in my marina in Lavalette on April 15th when I splashed and the water was still pretty cold. I have seem then in big numbers this year at Silver Bay, in the Toms River, and in the Metedeconk, all places where I had been swimming for years with out even thinking about them.
 
I don't think the water is much cooler at Tices. The water temperature indicator on the boat and the PWC both show temps pretty much between 82-85 all over the bay, from Tices to the Metedeconk. Probably more likely that the water is fresher at Tices and on the Manasquan with their close proximity to the Atlantic which reduces the nitrogen load. It's probably worse on the Metedeconk and in Silver Bay since they are both surrounded by development which is loading the water with nitrogen and also far from the ocean.

Best regards,
Frank
 
Sorry to hear that up there guys. We in the Chesapeake have to deal with that every summer. Just when the water and air temperatures get warm enough to jump off the boat and enjoy yourself, it's all over. You just get to stare at the water and sweat to death in the humidty. :smt009

I hope something can be done up your way. Then maybe they can use it as a model to clean them out of the Bay; at least reduce their numbers considerably. Everyone around here just takes it as a fact-of-life. I've always wondered if the Chesepeake was the same 100 years ago...

btw, check this map out of the our Bay: http://155.206.18.162/seanettles/ . It'll show you just how bad it is (especially where I live in the lower Potomac).
 
looking at the map that gunn posted, I get the impression that these nettles don't like fresh or saltwater.....they like brakish water.
 
The don't like fresh water and they don't like cold water, so they migrate to warm and brackish areas.

Upper Chesapeake water temp is in the mid to high 80's but it has relatively fresh water fed by the Sesquhanna River and no nettles all summer. Still no nettles as far south as Fairlee Creek but I saw plenty over the weekend in Wye and Miles Rivers.
 
When I was up on Long Island visiting my parents I took my fathers boat out I noticed a lot more jellyfish than in years past. I think it's the Southold bay, Peconic bay, Pipes cove area. I remember they were there when I was a kid but they seem worse than in years past.
 
Does anyone have a reference to something that shows these things to be pests and not an important part of the water ecosystem? In other words, is it OK to net them out (as my 8 yr old does) and dump them in a garbage bag or am I committing a mortal sin and sure to receive a bomb threat from PETA or something?
 
I think we should start a 'movement' on all the boating boards. Every boater should be REQUIRED to net 50 nettles per POB every weekend.

I don't think you have anything to worry about.....heck, from the links I posted in the first post on this thread, the gov'ment itslef is trying to get rid of the damn things!
 
In reading the articles provide I think i read something about netting them actually increases the population. You may want to review this before you open the netting season.
 
Jersey Mike said:
In reading the articles provide I think i read something about netting them actually increases the population. You may want to review this before you open the netting season.
Click to expand...

Mike, I saw that reference too but wasn't sure what it meant. Seemed to be that if you net them and leave them around the dock or int he water they'll reproduce somehow like alien beings... I would net them, and dump into a plastic garbage bag immediately...I don't see how will they can reproduce/eat/drop larvae through the plastic?
 
Someone needs to sell these loggerhead things next to the Ice machine at marinas througout NJ and MD. I'd like a few around my slip.

From US Game & Wildlife

"Sea nettles have few enemies. Because their body mass consists mostly of water, nettles are not much of a meal. Some species of sea turtles, though, do include sea nettles in their diet. One turtle in particular, the loggerhead turtle, feeds voraciously on sea nettles in the Bay."
 
I spent the day over at Tices today. Didn't spot even a single jellie. Walked over to the ocean and did a little swimming over there and again...not a single jellie. I wonder if this NW wind had anything to do with it?

BTW...beautifull day at Tices....but PACKED!!!!
 
I was at Treasure Island today it too was totally free of jellies, as was my marina in Lavalette. Dont know where they went but we have to enjoy it while we can, because I am sure they will be back. There is a article about them being a problem world wide in the NY Times today. Glad to hear Tices was looking good as I am headed there in the morning.
 
Tices seemed clear.

My Lagoon, however, seems to have as many jellies as I have usually been seeing this summer.

And the amount of growth on the boat, for August 1st, is CRAZY. Jeez. I may need to pull and clean it :(
 
Water in Tices this past weekend. No jellies to be found. This is my oldest grandson swimming back after one of his infamous cannonballs off the platform....we were in about 6 1/2 feet of water.


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