Shapeshifters: The Wondrous World of Jellyfish

Description

Jellyfish come in a dazzling array of colors, shapes, and sizes, drifting through every ocean, from the surface to the deepest of the deep seas, and are even found in freshwater locations. These ancient creatures, also called sea jellies (they are not, technically, fish), are so otherworldly and luminous that it is no wonder they are often compared to mythical shapeshifters. Some are so delicate that they shatter with the smallest disturbance to the water, while the tenacity of others means they can withstand almost any temperature, any salinity, starvation, and even being dismembered. And some are truly biologically immortal.

Dr. Lisa-ann Gershwin was born and raised in California, where several chance encounters with jellyfish lured her into their enthralling universe. She is the author of Stung! On Jellyfish Blooms and the Future of the Ocean and Jellyfish: A Natural History. She has given two TEDx talks and has published more than 70 peer-reviewed scientific papers and government reports. Gershwin has also discovered more than 200 new species of jellyfish, as well as one dolphin. She lives and works in Australia's beautiful island state of Tasmania.