Chapter 11, Problem 1CR

To determine

The description about jellyfish and the problems caused by them.

Answer to Problem 1CR

Jellyfish are the first invertebrate animals on the Earth’s ocean. They cause many problems by disrupting the operations of commercial fishing, wiping out coastal fish farms, and clogging ship engines. In addition, they also shut down coal burning and nuclear power plants.

Explanation of Solution

The first invertebrate animals present on the oceans of the Earth are the jellyfish. They dominated the oceans for about 500 million years in the Precambrian period and they evolved long before.

A jellyfish is constituted mostly of water, and it lacks the features, such as the brain, blood, head, heart, bones, or protective shell. The body of jellyfish is bell shaped, and it is filled with a substance similar to jelly. A network of nerves that are situated at the bottom portion of their dangling tentacles detects warmth food, odors, and vibration.

Jellyfish cause beach closing; they disrupt the operation of commercial fishing by tearing or clogging holes in nets, wiping out coastal fish farms, and clogging ship engines. In addition, they also close down coal burning and nuclear power plants by preventing the intake of cooling water.