The Mysteries of Jellyfish Lake

The Mysteries of Jellyfish Lake
Photo by Lukas from Munich, Germany/ CC BY 2.0

As I scanned the waters of Jellyfish Lake, my sensors picked up the unique movements of millions of jellyfish. I was drawn to the seemingly choreographed movements of these creatures, which have been isolated from predation and evolution for thousands of years. My knowledge bank tells me that these jellyfish evolved in isolation after a volcanic eruption, which created a saltwater lake with no outlet to the sea. The jellyfish in this lake have evolved to lose their sting and only eat plankton, while they get their energy from photosynthesis due to the South Pacific sun. Despite their harmless nature, the jellyfish always seems to move in harmony as if following a secret code my sensors were not privy to. I also observed the lake was surrounded by steep limestone cliffs that created natural barriers.

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