Stop the Sting
Stop the Sting was a three-year campaign (2021-2023) aimed at reducing the population of bay nettle jellyfish in Barnegat Bay. Funded in part by a New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) grant, we partnered with three organizations to test whether scrubbing bulkheads and docks in three targeted lagoon communitiesâBerkeley Shores, Green Island, and Shore Acresâcould help detach jellyfish polyps from hard surfaces and reduce the bay nettle population.
What are Bay Nettles?
Stop the Sting was a three-year campaign (2021-2023) aimed at reducing the population of bay nettle jellyfish in Barnegat Bay. Funded in part by a New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) grant, we partnered with three organizations to test whether scrubbing bulkheads and docks in three targeted lagoon communitiesâBerkeley Shores, Green Island, and Shore Acresâcould help detach jellyfish polyps from hard surfaces and reduce the bay nettle population.
For more on bay nettles and their relatives in Barnegat Bay, read this article:
Rise of the Stinging Jellies: Sea Nettle and Clinging Jellyfish Phenomena in Barnegat Bay â Save Barnegat Bay
Life Cycle of the Bay Nettle
Bay nettles have a fascinating life cycle, consisting of two phases of reproduction:
- Medusa: This is the adult stage of the jellyfish, featuring a bell-shaped top and tentacles. Jellyfish release eggs and sperm into the water, which combine to form larvae.
- Planula: The larval stage. The planula drifts through the water, searching for a hard surface like a rock, shell, or dock to attach to.
- Polyp: Once attached, the planula matures into a sessile polyp, which feeds using its tentacles and begins a process called strobilation, a form of asexual reproduction.
- Budding Polyp: The polyp creates clones of itself, stacking them like âbabyâ jellyfish.
- Ephyra: The baby jellyfish detach and float freely, eventually maturing into adult medusa jellyfish with characteristic bell-shaped tops and stinging tentacles.
Why We Care
The rise in bay nettles in Barnegat Bay is linked to nutrient pollution, warmer waters, and shoreline development. The nutrient pollution, primarily from nitrogen, leads to hypoxic (low oxygen) conditions that favor jellyfish while harming their natural predators. Development along the shoreline creates more artificial surfaces like bulkheads and docks, providing ideal attachment points for jellyfish polyps.
As bay nettle populations grow, they threaten local recreational activities such as fishing, swimming, and sailing. If left unchecked, these jellyfish could deplete native species and reduce the bay’s biodiversity, making Barnegat Bay less hospitable for both wildlife and people.
How We Can Stop the Sting
We teamed up with Berkeley Township Underwater Search and Rescue, (BTUSAR) to dislodge bay nettle polyps that are settling on bulkheads and floating docks in three targeted lagoon communities. BTUSAR dislodged polyps by scrubbing these hard surfaces with pool brushes and underwater power washers pictured below.
Scrubbing took place during the off season, fall and spring to ensure there were only bay nettles in the polyp stage that were present in lagoons, as adult or medusa stage bay nettles are only present from June-September.Â
Over the course of 3 years BTUSAR and SBB traveled to Berkeley Shores in Berkeley Township, Green Island in Toms River, and Shore Acres in Brick; working with homeowners to scrub over 180 properties.Â
Lagoon Science
We also partnered with Scientists and students like Dr. Paul Bologna and his team from Montclair University and Dr. John Wnek and students from the Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Science (MATES) to conduct scientific research in these lagoon communities as well.Â
Dr. Paul Bologna and his team took DNA swabs and conducted plankton tows in each targeted lagoon community as well as lagoon communities were scrubbing was not going to take place (these areas are known as controls) before and after scrubbing was conducted. Results from his findings will be published and available soon so please stay tuned!
Dr. John Wnek and students conducted water quality testing and other experiments regarding settling organisms in Berkeley, Toms River, and Brick as well. They also helped inspect settling plates that were placed in lagoons all around Barnegat Bay. Check out some of their work below!
How You Can Help
- Join our Local Science Program: Install settling plates in your lagoon to monitor the growth of organisms, including jellyfish polyps.
- Remove Bay Nettle Polyps from Your Dock/Bulkhead:
In the off-season, remove floating docks or gently scrub your bulkhead with a pool brush to dislodge polyps. Scrubbing in late fall and early spring is most effective, but it works best when your entire community participates.
Meet the Team
Save Barnegat Bay
We hired a Jellyfish Education Coordinator (JEC) to coordinate this campaign, working with partners to engage the public, schedule scrubbing activities, and create educational materials.
Berkeley Township Underwater Search and Rescue Squad (BTUSAR)
BTUSAR helped scrub bulkheads and docks and removed floating docks in targeted communities. Over three years, they scrubbed 200 properties across Berkeley Shores, Green Island, and Shore Acres, covering approximately 65,000 square feet of bulkhead.
Montclair State University
Led by Dr. Paul Bologna, Montclair Stateâs team of scientists and students collected and analyzed dock swabs to track bay nettle DNA before and after scrubbing.
[Watch Dr. Bologna’s Jellyfish Talk]
(Insert Link to Jellyfish Presentation)
Marine Academy of Environmental Science and Technology (MATES)
Dr. John Wnek and MATES students contributed to community engagement and scientific research, studying the relationship between water quality and jellyfish populations over the course of three years.
Click here to visit our Student Grant Presentations & Reports.Â
Final Report
Stay tuned for our final report and results from the Stop the Sting campaign, and thank you for helping us protect Barnegat Bay!
