UPDATE: City Issues Statement on Clinging Jellyfish; DEP Confirms Clinging Jellyfish Found in N. Wildwood Beach Salt Pond

The following is a June 5 statement from the City of North Wildwood:
NORTH WILDWOOD – The City of North Wildwood was notified June 4 about the presence of clinging jellyfish in a non-swimming tidal pool, adjacent to the Hereford Inlet Lighthouse.
This tidal pool is in an environmentally sensitive area that has never been open for swimming. The approximate location of the tidal pool is located between Surf and Central avenues, immediately abutting the North Wildwood Anglesea Wall. Residents and visitors should heed the warning signs and not enter this area or the saltwater tidal pond for any reason.
The Clinging Jellyfish is an invasive species native to the South Pacific Ocean that has been found throughout various areas of the State of New Jersey, as early as 2016. The Clinging Jellyfish is known to inhabit stagnant tidal pools/ponds and calm waters of the Back Bay. If you encounter a clinging jellyfish, avoid contact, DO NOT touch or try to collect it.
“Although the toxicity of the clinging jellyfish sting can be potent and produce pain and other localized symptoms, it is important to note that no fatalities have ever been documented for this species, and the area in which it is currently present in North Wildwood is NOT a designated bathing beach,” stated Mayor Patrick Rosenello.
“Residents and visitors are reminded to use caution when in the back-bays, never swim in clearly marked NO SWIMMING areas, such as the saltwater tidal pond between Surf and Central Avenues, and ONLY swim at designated guarded beaches within the City of North Wildwood during Lifeguard hours of operation,” stated Rosenello.
For additional information on the Clinging Jellyfish, please see the NJDEP Fact Sheet:https://bit.ly/2KvOriP
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Original DEP release:
TRENTON – The DEP is advising the public that clinging jellyfish have been confirmed in a salt pond near a bathing area in North Wildwood, the first time this species has been found this far south in New Jersey.
According to a release, it is unclear how clinging jellyfish entered the pond, which is located adjacent to East First Avenue and near the Hereford Inlet Lighthouse.
The pond is fed by a stormwater pipe from adjacent roadways and may have intermittent direct connections with Hereford Inlet.
The DEP is working with the New Jersey Department of Health to ensure that appropriate local health agencies are alerting the public to use caution or avoid wading through this pond.
The DEP is collaborating with Montclair State University to monitor clinging jellyfish in the pond and are continuing their investigation in other focus areas.
The DEP and Montclair have increased seasonal monitoring this year and are working to better understand the invasive history and connections between the known and recently discovered populations.
Ranging from about the size of a dime to the size of a quarter, the clinging jellyfish is difficult to spot in the water. It has a powerful sting that can produce severe pain and other localized symptoms. In some cases, stings can result in the need for medical attention or hospitalization.
The DEP and Montclair have been aggressively monitoring for clinging jellyfish since they were first confirmed in New Jersey in 2016.
Since the first confirmation, clinging jellyfish sightings had been confined to parts of northern and central Barnegat Bay, in addition to the Metedeconk and Shrewsbury rivers.
The clinging jellyfish tends to attach to submerged aquatic vegetation and algae in back bays and estuaries when not actively feeding, areas that are not heavily used for swimming.
The clinging jellyfish observed in the salt pond in North Wildwood were collected by a young girl. Her parents astutely recognized that they may be clinging jellyfish and contacted Dr. Paul Bologna of Montclair State University, who visited the pond and pulled about 150 specimens from the water. The girl was not injured while collecting.
The DEP encourages the public to exercise common sense and caution during recreation in areas where the jellyfish have been discovered.
Anyone wading through these areas, especially near aquatic vegetation or areas with dense macroalgae, should take precautions, such as wearing boots or waders to protect themselves.
Swimming near lifeguarded beaches is, as always, encouraged.
If stung by a clinging jellyfish, rinse the area with salt water and remove any remaining tentacle materials using gloves or a thick towel. Seek medical attention as appropriate.
The clinging jellyfish is non-native species. It has a red, orange or violet cross across its middle. Each jellyfish can have 60 to 90 tentacles that contain stinging cells capable of delivering painful neurotoxins. Clinging jellyfish primarily feed on zooplankton.
Both the adult, or medusa, and polyp stages of the clinging jellyfish are capable of stinging, a mechanism they use to stun prey and to defend against predators.