3 November
World Jellyfish Day
First marked in 2014, 3 November is a day to learn about jellyfish, animals that are about 95 per cent water.
World Jellyfish Day is held on 3 November. First acknowledged in 2014, it focuses on education and conservation, and many aquariums use the day to introduce visitors to their jellyfish.
Jellyfish are simply built. NOAA's National Ocean Service explains that they have no brain, blood or heart, and that only about 5 per cent of a jellyfish's body is solid matter, with the rest water. A basic nerve net lets them smell, detect light and respond to their surroundings.
Their role is larger than their shape suggests. Earth.org reports that jellyfish help carry nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus between ocean layers, and supply over 10 per cent of the nitrogen that phytoplankton need to grow.
They also signal change. Warmer waters favour jellyfish growth, and researchers are concerned that jellyfish can be an entry point for microplastics into ocean food chains.
To help: keep plastic out of the sea, follow local jellyfish warnings at the beach, and learn which species live near you.
From Waste to Wonder at AVALON Artisan Gallery begins with the sea's leftovers: more than 50,000 tonnes of green mussel shells are discarded in Thailand each year, and we reclaim them as MyraShell and MyraGem. Meet Little Bobbing in the Sea Soul collection.
Meet the charmLITTLE BOBBING Next storyThai Environment Day