Clinging Jellyfish in the Salt Ponds of Southwest Rhode Island
My friend Phil just told me of a warning sign in Ninigret Pond in Charlestown, Rhode Island. What’s up? Clinging jellyfish have been found in several salt ponds and they pack a wallop. Apparently, this has been a fact for a few years now, although this is the first I have heard of it. If you’re fishing the cinder worm hatch in these ponds be sure to wear waders. And try to keep your hands out of the water as much as possible.
Here is a public service announcements from the state of Rhode Island.
2022 PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Environmental officials in Rhode Island are warning residents about tiny jellyfish that pack a powerful sting.
The state Department of Environmental Management say clinging jellyfish have recently been found in Potter Pond in South Kingstown and Ninigret Pond in Charlestown. The agency said adult clinging jellyfish are about the size of a dime and have an orange-brown cross mark on their transparent bodies. Officials say their sting can be extremely painful and can lead to hospitalization. Symptoms include severe pain, redness from the sting, and possibly respiratory and/or neurological problems. DEM says those symptoms typically last three to five days.
If you have been stung, officials advise to use jellyfish sting sprays or rinse with white vinegar over the site to stop any remaining stinging cells, and to remove any remaining tentacles with tweezers. It is advised to rinse only with hot water. If symptoms do not go away, or the pain strengthens, officials recommend seeking medical attention. In a video posted Friday on the DEM’s Facebook page, officials advise quahoggers and others using shallow, protected waterbodies to wear boots, waders, or wetsuits for protection, and avoid aquatic vegetation like eelgrass where they tend to congregate.
