Jellyfish invasion besets Boston Harbor

BOSTON, July 4 (UPI) -- An increasing number of jellyfish are taking up temporary residence in Boston Harbor, taking advantage of the warm weather and abundant food supply.

Scientists said that with the harbor growing increasingly warm and a vast abundance of microscopic prey to feed upon, the jellyfish population appears to be spiking, The Boston Globe said Wednesday.

A small number of the bell-shaped creatures have even turned up on area beaches, while the rest apparently are keeping to the inner harbor area.

While the non-poisonous organisms have been known to block intake valves of water-bound instruments, experts said the jellyfish will likely pose no real threat during their temporary stay.

"People tend to be freaked out by jellyfish generally, but these moon jellies are pretty harmless," Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution scientist Lawrence P. Madin told the Globe. "They are pretty elegant animals that are beautiful, really."