Jellies across the oceans: DISL and Croatia
By Isabella D'Ambra

Dr. Monty Graham, Dr. Ruth Carmichael and PhD student Isabella D'Ambra have joined scientists from Providence College, RI; the Biological Station of Piran, Slovenia; the Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography of Dubrovnik, Croatia; and the INIDEP (Mar del Plata, Argentina) in a research effort carried out in the National Park of Mljet (Croatia).

The saltwater lakes in this enclosed and protected area are an ideal environment for researchers to conduct their ecological studies. Their project, called "Meduza" (the translation of medusa in Croatian), is focused on the population of the moon jelly (Aurelia sp.) living year-round in the lakes. These enigmatic creatures are difficult to study in the open ocean or coastal areas due to their unpredictable appearance and movements.

The DISL team is trying to understand how the food web works in this ecosystem, focusing on the role of the moon jelly. Now that they've returned to Dauphin Island with their samples from their most recent spring trip to Mljet, their work turns from the lakes of Croatia to the laboratories of the Sea Lab.