New research by marine biologists shows that jellyfish numbers are rising in European waters - including the Irish Sea.
The BBC reports that findings set to be published in the journal Global Change Biology show that samples collected from the Irish Sea since 1970 record a significant increase of both jellyfish and coral, particularly since 1994.
Researchers suggest that changes to marine ecosystems - possibly caused by overfishing and climate change - maybe be providing an opportunity for jellyfish to propogate, due to their ability to adapt quickly to new conditions.
There is concern that this might lead to a "never-ending jellyfish joyride" which could play havoc with commercial fishing stocks.
However the scientists say more data is needed to understand exactly what is happening to cause this growth.