No Jellyfish, No Ctenophores

There are no real answers to the question of why jellies and ctenophores are absent from Long Island Sound this summer, but there is an agreement that observation is accurate.

The New London Day found several people on the eastern end of the Sound who saw what Sally Harold saw in Westport and Katie O'Brien-Clayton saw from the deck of a DEP research boat -- no jellyfish. Here's The Day:

Greg Ryley, a waterfront supervisor with the town of Waterford, said the months of July and August — when jellyfish usually swarm the shores — came and went without the usual stinging blobs.

“I didn't see a single one, which is odd because the water is so warm,” said Ryley, who has worked at Waterford Beach for 10 years. “I've never seen a year without jellyfish.”