Pacific sea nettle jellyfish Nov 3, 2023

Jellyfish may be observed in all the world"s oceans in an array of shapes and sizes. There are about 2,000 different species of jellyfish, and they all lack hearts, bones and brains. Pacific sea nettle jellyfish, seen here, are known for their vibrant golden-brown bell, long tentacles and inhabit the coastal waters of California and Oregon. Moon jellyfish are pale and have short tentacles, and in an unexpected but somewhat appropriate twist, they ventured into space aboard the space shuttle Columbia in 1991 to help scientists study their unique biology. No matter the species, jellyfish play a vital role in the ocean"s food chain, as they are the primary food source for many seawater animals, including sea turtles. Jellies are threatened by climate changes, marine pollution and overfishing, and damage to their populations has reverberating effects on the sea life that depends on them.

© Jim Patterson/Tandem Stills + Motion

palette

Today in History

Nov 3, 2024Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve, Yucatán, Mexico

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Mar 23, 2025Lightning and storm clouds at sunset near Bowman, Nebraska, United States
Nov 15, 2023Rapa Valley in Sarek National Park, Sweden
Dec 30, 2024Mount Field National Park, Tasmania, Australia
Aug 27, 2023Jeju Island, South Korea
Apr 30, 2024Cheetah in Tanzania
May 3, 2025Arches National Park, Utah, United States
Jul 27, 2024Vineyards above the Moselle River, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
Jul 24, 2025Family of ashy woodswallows
Apr 25, 2025Magellanic penguins, Volunteer Point, Falkland Islands
Jun 10, 2024The city of Osaka at night, Japan
Mar 18, 2025Red Rocks, Sedona, Arizona, United States
Oct 3, 2024Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India
Jun 16, 2025Sea turtle, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil
Sep 8, 2023The Circus, Bath, Somerset, England
Jul 21, 2025Staghorn coral in shallow ocean
Sep 21, 2023Inside the Nobel Peace Centre, Oslo, Norway
Jun 20, 2025Seljalandsfoss waterfall, Iceland
Dec 19, 2024Sibiu Christmas Market, Romania
Sep 23, 2024Sea otter, Alaska, USA
Jun 28, 2024Chausey Islands
Dec 10, 2023Llyn Padarn lake, Snowdonia, Wales
May 24, 2024Añisclo gorge, Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park, Spain
Dec 30, 2023Daiichi Tadami River Bridge, Fukushima, Japan
Jul 11, 2025Tokyo at sunrise, Japan
Apr 6, 2025The Shard, London, England
Dec 29, 2023Oud-West neighbourhood, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Jan 26, 2025European beech forest, Belgium
Jun 6, 2024Greater flamingos at Pont de Gau Ornithological Park, Camargue, France
Aug 26, 2024Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge
Oct 16, 2024Jurassic Coast, Dorset, England