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| Photo: Teresa Carrette |
A Queensland research project tracking the movements of the deadly box jellyfish could result in safer conditions for swimmers during the state's annual stinger season.
Matthew Gordon, a PhD research student at James Cook University's School of Tropical Biology in Cairns, aims to develop a computer model to predict where and when box jellyfish hotspots will occur.
Such information would be a useful tool for tourism operators and lifeguards working on beaches along the Queensland coast.
During the last stinger season - 2005-2006 - Matthew tracked box jellyfish in waters around Weipa in the Gulf of Carpentaria and discovered they were very good long distance swimmers.
One jellyfish travelled seven kilometres over a 17-hour period of constant movement.
The research covered a number of locations, including estuaries, and showed how swimming patterns varied between locations.
Future research will extend to conditions including wind speed and wave height.
Matthew uses surgical glue to attach small ultrasonic transmitters to the bell of the jellyfish and their movements are recorded while the tags remain attached, sometimes for up to 56 hours.
Box jellyfish, whose sting can kill a person within four minutes, are associated with waters off North Queensland from October to May, but they have also been seen as far south as the Central Queensland coast.
They also inhabit the waters in Asia, South Africa and the Gulf of Mexico.
Matthew's research is backed by a Queensland Government Smart State Grant of $7500 as well as financial support from the Lions Foundation, Australian Geographic and Cairns City Council.
Last reviewed 16 October 2006