Date of Award
2025
Document Type
Capstone Project
Degree Name
Biology, BA, BS
School
CAS
Department
McNair Scholars Program
Faculty Advisor
Carl L. Merrill III
Abstract
Recent observations in the behaviors of several gelatinous forms in the wild have demonstrated that human impacts to their environment have likely accelerated growth of their populations tremendously. Interestingly enough, population growth of jellyfish and ctenophores in aquariums and artificial habitats is less often observed under controlled conditions, while they often bloom in rapidly changing environments of nature. Seeking the knowledge of aquarists and researchers that have worked directly with gelatinous animals through interviews, and documenting the experiences of each individual, allowed acquisition of data that can be used to compare the reproductive success of these animals in captivity and in their natural habitats. These insights may lead to a clearer view on the nature of jellyfish and similar gelatinous creatures, in which animals that evolved for hundreds of millions of years for rapid population growth during adequate, but variable conditions could be very unlikely to thrive in a stable, enclosed, and artificial habitat.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Recommended Citation
Garza Ramirez, Regina, "Husbandry of Jellyfish and Ctenophores: Why gelatinous forms thrive in their natural habitat and yet often struggle to survive in aquaria" (2025). Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects. 42.
https://dc.suffolk.edu/undergrad/42
Included in
Animal Experimentation and Research Commons, Aquaculture and Fisheries Commons, Marine Biology Commons