Pacific sea nettle jellyfish Nov 3, 2023

Pacific sea nettle jellyfish

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
Nov 3, 2025Jellyfish, Guerrero, Mexico

More Desktop Wallpapers:

June 21, 2026Millau Viaduct, France
Dec 30, 2024Mount Field National Park, Tasmania, Australia
Dec 6, 2025Everglades National Park, Florida
Feb 28, 2025Taktsang Palphug Monastery, Bhutan
Oct 20, 2023Pygmy three-toed sloth
Aug 4, 2025Great grey owls
Nov 13, 2024Sea lion in a kelp forest, Baja California, Mexico
Oct 6, 2024Coyote Gulch, Glen Canyon Recreation Area, Utah
Oct 10, 2023Mount Sopris, Colorado, USA
May 18, 2026Dolbadarn Castle, Llanberis, Wales
Nov 3, 2024Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve, Yucatán, Mexico
May 26, 2025Hozugawa River in Arashiyama, Kyoto, Japan
Oct 8, 2023Veined octopus
Mar 3, 2026African elephant calf, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya
Nov 22, 2023Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, USA
Jul 4, 2025Orosei, Sardinia, Italy
Nov 25, 2024Maasai giraffes
Aug 23, 2025Greater flamingos, Camargue Regional Nature Park, France
Jul 21, 2024Kendwa village, Zanzibar, Tanzania
Oct 17, 2024Kochia, Hitachi, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan
Sep 1, 2025Kaiserstuhl, Germany
Oct 4, 2026Château de Castelnaud overlooking the river Dordogne, France
Feb 11, 2025Yungang Grottoes, Datong, China
Feb 23, 2024Haghartsin Monastery, Armenia
Apr 11, 2024Dragon waterfall, Venezuela
Oct 15, 2024Great wildebeest migration at Mara River, Kenya
Jul 25, 2025Colourful houses of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
Jan 30, 2024Ayna, Albacete, Spain
June 22, 2026Quinault rainforest, Olympic National Park, Washington state, USA
Mar 1, 2025Aurora borealis over Spirit Island on Maligne Lake, Canada