Tybee Island beach goers beware: lifeguards have treated a record number of jellyfish stings this season.
Lt. Hunter Robinson of Tybee Island Ocean Rescue says more than 10,000 stings have been treated so far this season. That’s compared to about 7,500 last year and just under 2,000 the year before.
There have been more tourists than usual, which may contribute to the increased number of stings.
Dick Lee, a professor emeritus at Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, says there’s also evidence that jellyfish populations are increasing worldwide.
Jellyfish can live where other species struggle, like in warm, polluted area with low oxygen levels.