Australian Lions Stinger Research Marine Stinger Resources
Marine Stinger Resources
- Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders in Marine Science
- Courses
- Future Students
- Current Students
- Research and Teaching
- Partners and Community
- About JCU
- Reputation and Experience
- Celebrating 50 Years
- Academy
- Anthropological Laboratory for Tropical Audiovisual Research (ALTAR)
- Anton Breinl Research Centre
- Agriculture Technology and Adoption Centre
- Living on Campus
- Advanced Analytical Centre
- Applying to JCU
- Alumni
- AMHHEC
- JCU Aquaculture Solutions
- AusAsian Mental Health Research Group
- ARCSTA
- Area 61
- Association of Australian University Secretaries
- Australian/NZ Students
- Australian Lions Stinger Research
- Australian Tropical Herbarium
- Australian Quantum & Classical Transport Physics Group
- Boating and Diving
- JCU-CSIRO Partnership
- Employability Edge
- Career Ready Plan
- CASE
- Careers at JCU
- Careers and Employability
- Chancellery
- Centre for Tropical Bioinformatics and Molecular Biology
- CITBA
- CMT
- College of Business, Law and Governance
- College of Healthcare Sciences
- WHOCC for N&M Education and Research
- College of Medicine and Dentistry
- College of Science and Engineering
- CPHMVS
- Centre for Disaster Solutions
- CSTFA
- Cyber Security Hub
- Cyclone Testing Station
- The Centre for Disaster Studies
- Daintree Rainforest Observatory
- Discover Nature at JCU
- Research Division
- Services and Resources Division
- Education Division
- Economic Geology Research Centre
- Elite Athletes
- eResearch
- Environmental Research Complex [ERC]
- Estate
- Fletcherview
- Foundation for Australian Literary Studies
- Gender Equity Action and Research
- General Practice and Rural Medicine
- GetReady4Uni
- Give to JCU
- Governance
- Information for JCU Cairns Graduates
- Art of Academic Writing
- Art of Academic Editing
- Graduate Research School
- Graduation
- Indigenous Education and Research Centre
- Indigenous Engagement
- Indigenous Legal Needs Project
- Inherent Requirements
- IsoTropics Geochemistry Lab
- IT Services
- International Schools
- International Students
- Research and Innovation Services
- JCU Eduquarium
- JCU Events
- JCU Global Experience
- JCU Ideas Lab
- JCU Job Ready
- JCU Motorsports
- JCU Prizes
- JCU Sport
- JCU Turtle Health Research
- Language and Culture Research Centre
- CEE
- LearnJCU
- Library
- Mabo Decision: 30 years on
- MARF
- Marine Geophysics Laboratory
- New students
- Off-Campus Students
- Office of the Vice Chancellor and President
- Virtual Open Day
- Orpheus
- Outstanding Alumni
- Parents and Partners
- Pathways to university
- Planning for your future
- Placements
- Policy
- PAHL
- Publications
- Professional Experience Placement
- Queensland Research Centre for Peripheral Vascular Disease
- Rapid Assessment Unit
- RDIM
- Researcher Development Portal
- Safety and Wellbeing
- Scholarships
- Contextual Science for Tropical Coastal Ecosystems
- Staff
- State of the Tropics
- Strategic Procurement
- Student Equity and Wellbeing
- Student profiles
- SWIRLnet
- TARL
- TESS
- TREAD
- TropEco for Staff and Students
- TQ Maths Hub
- TUDLab
- Unicare Centre and Unicampus Kids
- UAV
- VAVS Home
- Work Health and Safety
- WHOCC for Vector-borne & NTDs
- Media
- Copyright and Terms of Use
- Australian Institute of Tropical Health & Medicine
- Clinical Psychedelic Research Lab
During the tropical summer months, around November to May, stingers (including the big box jellyfish and the Irukandji jellyfish) may be present in Queensland waters but don't panic, there are plenty of resources available to help you.
Did you know that jellyfish are not even fish? To be correct we should call them "sea jellies", they fall into a collective group called cnidarians, of which there are more than 10,000 species, including corals, sea anemones and hydroids (polyps). The Australian Geographic's article "What exactly are jellyfish, anyway?" is a great way to get started on understanding the many different types of jellyfish.
National Geographic's video "Jellyfish 101" covers the basics about jellyfish too.
If you would like to read more about the wonderful world of sea jellies, check out National Geographic's article on jellyfish reproduction in their October 2018 edition.
First Aid for jellyfish stings can be confusing and controversial and many people are working on finding better solutions, including Australian Lions Stinger Research and the JCU eduQuarium team.
Claims for jellyfish sting remedies range from ice water to urine, but if you get stung by a box jellyfish (Chironex), continued CPR and transfer to a hospital as soon as possible is the only remedy that can save your life.
Surf Life Saving Queensland provide fact sheets on all stinger species found in Queensland including:
- Carybdea (aka Jimble)
- Catostylus (aka Blubber)
- Chironex fleckeri (box jellyfish)
- Cyanea (aka Hair jelly, Snottie, Lion’s mane)
- Irukandji
- Morbakka (Fire Jelly, Moreton Bay Stinger)
- Pelagia (Little Mauve Stinger)
- Physalia (Bluebottle, Portuguese man-o-war, Pacific man-o-war)
Surf Life Saving North Queensland provides regular updates on closed beaches in the Cairns area with maps showing the location of stinger enclosures.
As with most things prevention is better than cure and the easiest thing you can do is to cover your body with a stinger suit and swim within the stinger enclosures at a safe beach.
To minimise the risk of being stung by potentially dangerous jellyfish (marine stingers), follow these simple tips from Surf Life Saving North Queensland:
- Always swim at patrolled beaches and between the red and yellow flags;
- Look for, and observe, warning signs;
- Where provided, swim in stinger-resistant enclosures, wear protective clothing and do not swim when beaches are closed.
JCU's eduQuarium have compiled a comprehensive list of research based around marine stingers. Check out the relevant publications for further reading.