Marine experts have reinforced warnings that deadly Irukandji jellyfish are moving south and could soon be on Queensland's popular Sunshine Coast beaches.

It comes after four people were hospitalised on Wednesday and Thursday from Irukandji jellyfish stings on the western side of Fraser Island.

RACQ LifeFlight Rescue said the three women and a 12-year-old girl were all in stable conditions in Hervey Bay Hospital.

Associate Professor Seymour, who is also a specialist in Irukandji with the Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine in Cairns, said the move south to Fraser Island, which he has confirmed with sampling, was corresponding to the rising sea temperatures.

"We've seen a 1- to 2-degree temperature rise in the water off the coast in the southern side here and the animals have moved predictably with that," he said.

"What we need to do is get a better understanding of the biology of the animal. We've got good data now that shows quite nicely that Irukandji have been spreading down the east coast of Australia, moving slowly but surely southwards," Associate Professor Seymour said.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-12-30/irukandji-jellyfish-on-move-down-queenslan...

According to BoM the water temperature has fallen over the last 3 months

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The water will cool again. The Irikandji wall move back North. Or die.

Baronvonrort wrote on Jan 1^st, 2017 at 12:53pm:


That would affect the Iruknadji population numbers, not how much further south they are able to live.

Hey: do crocodiles eat these things?

Lord Herbert wrote on Jan 11^th, 2017 at 7:40am:



The netting needs to be small enough to exclude a jelly fish no bigger that a human thumb nail. I dare say the usual oceanic flotsam will have that shredded that net within a short period of time, which is why it is not used up north.

Southerners could do what northerners have been doing for years to avoid jellyfish, sharks and crocodiles; don't go swimming in the ocean. 

If you do and you are stung, eaten or whatever, then so be it.

I get how southerners are used to a government willing to slaughter every living marine creature to prevent the remote possibility off a shark attack, but that doesn't happen up north.

Lord Herbert wrote on Jan 11^th, 2017 at 11:02am:



The netting needs to be extremely narrow gapped, these buggers are tiny and while it may be strong everything floating around in the water will get caught up in it.

The average irukanji is only about twice the size of this crying emoji       and that is what you'll be doing if you get hit by one. Word has it that suicide is heavily in the thoughts of victims.

Stinger suits is an option but people in the north have been stung on the face and hands while wearing them. Get used to not swimming in the ocean. 

Jeez, What ever happened to wearing pantyhose. Afraid somebody will laugh? You can stretch one on each half.

This is why I have zero interest in FNQ.

Meanwhile Sydney ocean temps are unseasonably colder than usual