Pacific sea nettle jellyfish Nov 3, 2023

Jellyfish may be observed in all the world"s oceans in an array of shapes and sizes. There are about 2,000 different species of jellyfish, and they all lack hearts, bones and brains. Pacific sea nettle jellyfish, seen here, are known for their vibrant golden-brown bell, long tentacles and inhabit the coastal waters of California and Oregon. Moon jellyfish are pale and have short tentacles, and in an unexpected but somewhat appropriate twist, they ventured into space aboard the space shuttle Columbia in 1991 to help scientists study their unique biology. No matter the species, jellyfish play a vital role in the ocean"s food chain, as they are the primary food source for many seawater animals, including sea turtles. Jellies are threatened by climate changes, marine pollution and overfishing, and damage to their populations has reverberating effects on the sea life that depends on them.

© Jim Patterson/Tandem Stills + Motion

palette

Today in History

Nov 3, 2024Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve, Yucatán, Mexico
Nov 3, 2025Jellyfish, Guerrero, Mexico

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Oct 13, 2025Waterfall at Wimbachklamm Gorge, Bavaria, Germany
Nov 11, 2024Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada
May 8, 2025Donkeys in a valley near Rhyolite, Nevada, United States
May 27, 2024Baia del Silenzio in Sestri Levante, Italy
Jun 19, 2025Beach in Santa Catarina, Brazil
Mar 2, 2025Megalong Valley, Blue Mountains National Park, NSW, Australia
Nov 4, 2024Grasmere, Lake District, Cumbria, England
Oct 23, 2025Snow leopards, India
May 13, 2024Fish River Canyon, Namibia
Jan 3, 2025Radcliffe Camera and All Souls College, University of Oxford, England
Dec 20, 2024Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi, Lapland, Finland
Dec 20, 2023Val Gardena, South Tyrol, Dolomites, Italy
May 16, 2024Ria de Vigo, Vigo, Spain
Mar 16, 2024Eurasian blue tit, United Kingdom
Sep 25, 2023Sea otter, Glacier Bay, Alaska
Mar 3, 2025Yellow-billed hornbills in Kruger National Park, South Africa
Jan 12, 2024Bukhansan National Park, South Korea
Mar 9, 2024Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness, New Mexico
Jul 10, 2024Collared aracari
Nov 16, 2024Wadden Sea coast, Friesland, Netherlands
Aug 16, 2024Roller coaster in Nagashima Spa Land, Mie Prefecture, Japan
Dec 11, 2025The summit of Mount Everest at sunset, seen from Renjo La, Nepal
Nov 2, 2023Death Valley National Park, California, USA
Sep 7, 2024Annas hummingbird
Jan 10, 2026The Matterhorn reflected in Lake Stellisee at sunrise, Zermatt, Switzerland
Nov 3, 2025Jellyfish, Guerrero, Mexico
Oct 6, 2024Coyote Gulch, Glen Canyon Recreation Area, Utah
Sep 21, 2025Sea otters, Alaska
Feb 4, 2024Devetashka Cave, Devetaki, Bulgaria
Jul 14, 2025Young blue shark