Sample jars of peach blossom jellyfish (Credit: Polina Orlov

By Sam Bennison

Enviroment

Freshwater jellyfish are invading B.C. waterways

Sep 17, 2024 | 6:11 PM

PRINCE GEORGE—Around thirty years ago, the Chinese Peach Blossom Jellyfish was introduced into fresh water in British Columbia. Now as the climate warms it has been spotted in 34 waterways as far as north as cache creek. Dr. Evgeny Pakhomov a UBC professor in biological oceanography/fisheries says that with climate change there is concerns that the jellyfish could spread as for north as Alaska.

While the jellyfish medusa, the visible jellyfish stage, only becomes noticable at 25 degrees celsius a polyp, the asexual reproductive stage, can survive at much colder temperatures.

“It can insulate or encapsulate and become a little cyst which can actually, survive through dry conditions or very cold conditions,” explains Dr. Pakhomov.

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As for making it’s way up to Prince George, Dr. Stephen Déry a professor in the Department of Geography, Earth, Environmental Sciences at UNBC says the water temperatures are warm enough and it could be only a matter of time.

In 2021, you recall in late June of that year, we had record breaking temperatures right near 40 degrees across part of our region,” says Dr. Déry. “And so, we saw in some of the rivers nearby Prince George and Fort St. James, we saw temperatures close to 30 degrees.”

Dr. Pakhomov says the research project is fairly new meaning there isn’t a lot currently known about how it gets introduced to waterways and what damage it could cause. However he worries that the jellyfish may outcompete native species.

“Jellyfish usually consume plankton. Plankton is little crustaceans which are living in the water and they are also pray for juvenile fish,” say Dr. Pakhomov.

However, just the warming waters can put a strain on our fish populations.

“Iconic species like sockeye salmon, chinook salmon, white sturgeon in the Nechako and the Fraser are species that are thermally sensitive,” notes Dr. Déry. “And so, if we’re experiencing extended periods of temperature, say even above 20 degrees, this can over time become lethal to these species.”

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Email: sam.bennison@pattisonmedia.com