Carcasses of thousands of blue button jellyfish were found along the Konark-Astarang coastline in Puri district for last two to three days, raising concerns among environmentalists and wildlife experts.
While the blue button jellyfish are found in tropical and sub-tropical waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans, the sight of dead hydroids along the Bay of Bengal is rare as they survive in warm waters and are seldom found here.
According to experts, this aquatic species might be dying due to drastic climate change.
“It is a rare phenomenon here as we don’t find blue button jellyfish along the Odisha coast. The blue buttons might be dying due to climate change or marine water pollution,” an environmentalist said.
“We haven’t seen blue button jellyfish in such large numbers along the beaches here. For the first time, we are seeing such a phenomenon. The carcasses have dotted the coasts since last two-three days. It is very sad that they are dying due to some unknown reasons. We appeal to the Government to send experts for research to find out the reason behind this,” a local resident said.
The blue buttons (Porpita porpita) are actually not jellyfish. However, they superficially resemble the gelatinous aquatic animal. They feed on copepods and crustacean larvae and their sting causes mild irritation to human skin.
It may be recalled that dead Olive Ridley turtles were found along the Odisha coasts some months ago. Besides, the carcass of a gigantic whale was also found along the Mangala river mouth in Puri district in February this year.