Thirty years of jellyfish blooms in Catalonia: Narratives and empirical evidences

Abstract

Different narratives regarding jellyfish blooms demarcate this complex human-environment interaction. Scientists, managers and public opinion determine who are the stakeholders, and which are the main issues, relevant indicators and knowledge gaps. This work structures the information regarding this demarcation process by tracking more than 150 newspaper articles, 500 scientific publications, as well as relevant management documents regarding the Catalan coasts for the period 1980-2012. An inferred mental model is elucidated in order to describe what dimensions are highlighted, what information has become relevant, and which are the main information gaps in the process of understanding jellyfish blooms and their interaction with the socioeconomic system in Catalonia. Are scientific publications covering the main social concerns? Are blooms becoming more frequent or are the media increasing their awareness? These are the main question addressed, using data on reported jellyfish arrivals and stings. We conclude that available data does not allow us to confirm if coastal jellyfish blooms are becoming more frequent because a baseline cannot be established. Scientific efforts are increasing in order to understand which processes trigger coastal and marine blooms, however they don’t completely cover the concerns of the general public and managers such as the impact on the tourism industry. We suggest an interpretation of the disciplinary efforts made in deepening the understanding of jellyfish blooms, in terms of the Ecosystem Services framework as a way of integrating the existing knowledge and identifying gaps. We discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this framework for managers and for communicative purposes.