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Jellyfish Population On The Rise At Jersey Shore

BARNEGAT, NJ (WCBS 880) - When you go to the beach, you might have some unwelcome company.

Jellyfish have been around for over one hundred years, but this year there is an explosion in the population of the stinging blobs and it's beginning to threaten the ecosystem, while keeping swimmers out of the water.

WCBS 880's Kelly Waldron In New Jersey

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Jennifer O'Reilly of Save Barnegat Bay says overdevelopment, poor planning and nutrient pollution have created the perfect storm for the organisms to multiply.

"They need poor water quality. They like a certain salinity. They like a certain water temp.  They like hot water and salt," she told WCBS 880 reporter Kelly Waldron.

Because of the poor water quality, O'Reilly says the normal fish and turtle species which would prey on the jellyfish are not there.

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