BEACH goers are being urged to report jellyfish finds off the Morecambe Bay coast.

The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) says the number of jellyfish blooms- when jellies mass together - in UK coastal waters is on the increase as seas start to warm up.

Every summer hundreds of reports of jellyfish sightings are made to the MCS National Jellyfish Survey – now in its 14th year. The survey is providing valuable information about where and when jellyfish occur in UK seas amid global reports of a rise in jellyfish numbers.

Up until July, it has been a relatively quiet year for jellyfish reports, unlike the last two years when record numbers of barrel jellyfish were reported around UK seas through the spring and summer including Greenodd. The Irish Sea hosts all of the UK species of jellyfish.

Dr Peter Richardson, Head of Biodiversity and Fisheries at the Marine Conservation Society, said “There’s evidence that jellyfish numbers are increasing in some parts of the world, including UK seas.

"Some scientists argue that jellyfish numbers increase and then decrease normally every 20 years or so, however, others believe and these increases are linked to factors such as pollution, over-fishing and possibly climate change. The MCS jellyfish survey helps provide some of the information we need to understand more about these ancient creatures.”

Although the charity has received reports of barrel jellyfish, sightings of blue and moon jellies are starting to pick up as the waters around the UK warm up.

Lion’s mane jellyfish which have a powerful sting, have also been reported from beaches in Scotland and around the Irish Sea. MCS says that anyone who comes across a jellyfish at sea or on the beach should look but don’t touch, but report their sightings at www.mcsuk.org “We still know relatively little about jellyfish and what drives changes in their numbers, so reporting even a single one can help. One thing we do know is that Leatherback turtles travel to UK waters to feed on jellyfish and are usually recorded along the west coast of the UK between May and October – this year we’ve already heard of sightings from the south west of England and the Irish Sea.” said Dr Richardson.

People can report their sightings at www.mcsuk.org