Researchers from the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria are conducting an observation campaign that they hope will allow them to predict the patterns of the Portuguese Man of War jellyfish.
Researchers will follow jellyfish with boats and drones, modelling their behaviour in a way that may make it easier to predict their arrival.
The Portuguese Man of War is the most dangerous of the jellyfish that occasionally arrive in Canarian waters, and its presence occasionally means that beaches have to be shut down. The other main jellyfish species found in local waters are the Mauve Stinger, which can also cause a painful sting, and the By-The Wind Sailor – a relatively harmless sail jellyfish that is often mistaken for the Portuguese Man O´War.
The arrival of large numbers of jellyfish is relatively rare on Lanzarote. The last time the jellyfish warning flags were hoisted was in January last year.