I agree: industrial uses seem the most promising. It seems unlikely we'll convince half the world to start loving jellyfish. But it seems plausible we can convert jellyfish into useful substances or derivatives.
Even still, the article addresses deeper problems. Killing back the jellyfish won't stop the conditions that we are causing in the oceans -- conditions that are extremely suitable to jellyfish, and seem suitable to little else. Acidification, warming, pollution, etc.
One little-heralded fact, for instance, is that we're coming dangerously close to driving sharks to extinction in many of the world's ecosystems. An ocean with fewer sharks in it? It's tough to find people who will shed a tear. But killing off the keystone predators in an ecosystem throws the whole thing into chaos -- and as it turns out, paradoxically, killing off sharks is a fantastic way to kill off most of the fish sharks feed on.
The point of my digression is that doing something about the "jellyfish menace" is probably necessary at this point. But it's not sufficient. It's a band-aid on a bullet wound.
Even still, the article addresses deeper problems. Killing back the jellyfish won't stop the conditions that we are causing in the oceans -- conditions that are extremely suitable to jellyfish, and seem suitable to little else. Acidification, warming, pollution, etc.
One little-heralded fact, for instance, is that we're coming dangerously close to driving sharks to extinction in many of the world's ecosystems. An ocean with fewer sharks in it? It's tough to find people who will shed a tear. But killing off the keystone predators in an ecosystem throws the whole thing into chaos -- and as it turns out, paradoxically, killing off sharks is a fantastic way to kill off most of the fish sharks feed on.
The point of my digression is that doing something about the "jellyfish menace" is probably necessary at this point. But it's not sufficient. It's a band-aid on a bullet wound.