A spec of reason in an unreasonable world?

Perusing my usual sources of news I came upon an article about certain Jellyfish appearing in larger than normal numbers, further south and later in the year than normal:

At the "polyp" stage of a Lion's Mane's life cycle, the animal may "strobilate", or spawn, more jellyfish than is usual if temperatures are unstable, says Amy Arnold, Senior Aquarist in Acquisitions and Quarantine at the Georgia Aquarium.

"This could then cause a larger number of jellies seen than usual, and later in the season, then we are accustomed," she says.

In a year that has seen hundred-degree temperatures in Siberia, Lion's Mane jellyfish may be the latest sign of a warming planet.

"The short answer to all of this: global warming," says Arnold. "A one-degree temperature difference in the ocean can affect all of this."

However, it can be difficult to point to a clear explanation for year-to-year fluctuations. Jellyfish populations, says Spina, are "very unpredictable."

"It's tempting to blame a warming climate and warming waters, but it's hard to really make that statement without having a lot of good data to back it up," he says. "You really need some numbers and some time to sort of start drawing conclusions."