Ms Jessica Strickland1, Prof Kylie Pitt1, Prof Michael Kingsford2, Prof Dean Jerry2, Dr Carmel McDougall1
1Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia, 2James Cook University, Townsville, Australia
‘Irukandji’ jellyfishes pose a major risk to human health and enterprise. These mostly small and venomous species of cubozoans cause Irukandji syndrome, which can be fatal. At Ningaloo Reef, in Western Australia, Irukandji jellyfishes interfere with a significant whale shark tourism industry. Anecdotally, sightings and stings are more common in offshore waters beyond the reef slope, and are most numerous from February to May. Tools and strategies to address the risks of these species are paramount. However, there is a paucity of information on Ningaloo species, and their size, transparency, patchy distribution, and potent venom make them difficult to study using traditional methods. This project is using quantitative PCR to investigate spatial and temporal distributions of Irukandji jellyfish at Ningaloo and tests the hypothesis that they are most prevalent offshore and in Autumn. Water samples are being collected at multiple locations, at four distances from shore, including sites within the lagoon and up to 9kms offshore. Samples are being collected three days in each calendar season, over two consecutive years. This project will also confirm which species of cubozoans are present and investigate degradation rates of their environmental DNA. Target species have been collected, their DNA extracted, and the 16S genome partially sequenced using existing universal primers. Further, new species-specific primers and probes will be developed and tested.
Biography:
Biography to come.