Citizen Science based jellyfish observations along the Israeli Mediterranean coast in 2011-2025

Jellyfish observations (Citizen Science Data) are collected from the Israeli Mediterranean coast and sea since June 2011 via a webapp (www.meduzot.co.il). Observations are validated by experts in a two-tier process, once daily and again semi-annually. This data is used to alert the public to incoming swarms and helps us increase our knowledge of their behavior, ecology, phenology (e.g. Edelist et al. 2022; Levy et al. 2024), and taxonomy (Edelist et al. 2019). The project also educates and disseminates information about jellyfish sting prevention and treatment (Edelist et al. 2023). This data is also stored in the EU Iliad Project Ocean Information Model.

Default

IdentificationAbout this resource

Alternate Identifier

10.25607/lverbw

Alternate Identifier

cc67433b-f135-4704-a050-b4b44c8c4558

Alternate Identifier
http://ipt.medobis.eu/resource?r=dori
Publication Date
2025-10-20
Title

Citizen Science based jellyfish observations along the Israeli Mediterranean coast in 2011-2025

Abstract

Jellyfish observations (Citizen Science Data) are collected from the Israeli Mediterranean coast and sea since June 2011 via a webapp (www.meduzot.co.il). Observations are validated by experts in a two-tier process, once daily and again semi-annually. This data is used to alert the public to incoming swarms and helps us increase our knowledge of their behavior, ecology, phenology (e.g. Edelist et al. 2022; Levy et al. 2024), and taxonomy (Edelist et al. 2019). The project also educates and disseminates information about jellyfish sting prevention and treatment (Edelist et al. 2023). This data is also stored in the EU Iliad Project Ocean Information Model.

Dataset Language

ENGLISH

 
Dataset Creator
Dataset Creator
Dataset Creator
Dataset Creator
Metadata Provider
Associated Party

CUSTODIAN_STEWARD
  HCMR-IMBBC - Ioannis Rallis (Data Manager)

Thalassocosmos, Former American Base

,

Heraklion

,

71003

,

GREECE

Dataset Contact
Keywords (GBIF Dataset Type Vocabulary: http://rs.gbif.org/vocabulary/gbif/dataset_type_2015-07-10.xml)

  • Occurrence

Keywords (none)

  • Citizen Science

Keywords (none)

  • jellyfish

Keywords (none)

  • Israeli coast

Geographic Coverage

Geographic Description

Mediterranean Coast of Israel

Bounding Box

West Bounding Coordinate

34.585

East Bounding Coordinate

35.31

North Bounding Coordinate

33.321

South Bounding Coordinate

29.286

Temporal Coverage

Range of Dates

Begin Date

2011-07-01

End Date

2025-03-06

Taxonomic Coverage

General Taxonomic Coverage

Jellyfish, defined in the broader sense of gelatinous zooplankton, including ctenophores, siphonophores, and thaliaceans.

Taxonomic Classification

Taxonomic Rank Name

Phylum

Taxonomic Rank Value

Ctenophora

Taxonomic Classification

Taxonomic Rank Name

Order

Taxonomic Rank Value

Siphonophorae

Taxonomic Classification

Taxonomic Rank Name

Class

Taxonomic Rank Value

Thaliacea

Taxonomic Classification

Taxonomic Rank Name

Phylum

Taxonomic Rank Value

Cnidaria

Taxonomic Classification

Taxonomic Rank Name

Order

Taxonomic Rank Value

Salpida

Taxonomic Classification

Taxonomic Rank Name

Subphylum

Taxonomic Rank Value

Tunicata

resourceLicensesLicense Information

Intellectual Rights

This work is licensed under a

Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 License

.

Resource License

License Name

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International

URL
https://spdx.org/licenses/CC-BY-4.0.html
Identifier

CC-BY-4.0

 

Distribution

Online

URL
https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.897389

Distribution

Online

URL
http://ipt.medobis.eu/archive.do?r=dori
 

Additional Metadata

Metadata

GBIF Metadata Block

Date Stamp

2026-04-14T08:22:48Z

Citation

Edelist D D, Angel P D, Nakar M N (2025). Citizen Science based jellyfish observations along the Israeli Mediterranean coast in 2011-2025. Version 2.3. Hellenic Center for Marine Research. Sampling event dataset https://doi.org/10.25607/lverbw accessed via GBIF.org on 2026-04-14.

Bibliography

Edelist, D., Kuplik, Z., Guy-Haim, T., Angel, D. (2019) First records of the sea nettle Chrysaora (Cnidaria: Scyphozoa: Semaeostomeae: Pelagiidae) in the Levant. Mediterranean Marine Science 20(3): 651-652

Edelist, D., Guy-Haim, T., Kuplik, Z., Zuckerman, N., Nemoy, P., Angel, D.L. (2020) Phenological shift in swarming patterns of Rhopilema nomadica in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. Journal of Plankton Research. 42(2): 211-219

Edelist, D.; Knutsen, Ø., Ellingsen, I., Majaneva, S., Aberle, N., Dror, H., Angel, D.L. (2022) Tracking jellyfish swarm origins using a combined oceanographic-genetic-citizen science approach. Frontiers in Marine Science 9: 869619

Levy, T., Ghermandi, A., Lehahn, Y., Edelist, D., Angel, D.L. (2024) Monitoring jellyfish outbreaks along Israel's Mediterranean coast using digital footprints. Sci Total Environ; 922: 171275

 

Project

• Project

Title

The OTTERS Project and the Iliad consortium.

Abstract

The OTTERS Project aims to promote societal transformation for marine and freshwater stewardship through scaling up citizen science.The Iliad consortium will develop virtual representations of the sea that will integrate earth observing, modelling and digital infrastructures to provide predictions of future developments "at sea".

Funding

Meduzot received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe Framework Programmes for Research and Innovation under grant agreements no. 101037643 (ILIAD) and 101094041 (OTTERS).

 
 

Methods

• Method

Method Step

Description

Data is pseudo-anonymized to protect identity of the individuals reporting.

Sampling

Study Extent

The dataset covers 20 latitudinal zones along the Israeli coast, and five longitudinal zones (0-200m, 200-1000, 1000-10000, >10000) from the coastline. From the sandy beach upon which jellyfish are stranded, to the pelagic realm jellyfish inhabit in the Israeli Mediterranean.

Sampling Description

This is a Citizen Science initiative.