Doomed Jellyfish Replaced with Wild Ones

It can be life or death for aquarium "moon jellies" when the power goes out.

The pearly, translucent sea creatures are actually bad swimmers. They depend on electricity to circulate the water in their kreisel tank, keeping them afloat. When it goes out, the jellies on display sink to the bottom, and the baby ones being cultured are stricken by the darkness and un-regulated water temperatures.

During two recent blackouts, the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium lost power, and a majority of the moon jelly population was killed off.

But it wasn't all bad news—it gave the aquarium a fresh start with a new population of large, handsome jellies from the wild that are now on display.

"It's going to be great to get some new genetics in here," said aquarium intern Whitney Engler.

Since the exhibit showcasing local jellies from Santa Monica Bay opened four years ago, aquarium staffers have cultured the babies in-house to keep from depleting the wild population.

Recently though, the mature jellies began growing smaller and were flipping inside out.

After the blackouts, the timing was right to go jelly fishing.

Staffers, interns and an aquarist atop paddleboards recently scooped up the 25 new jellies from a bloom of 300-400 in a secret location off Long Beach.

Their larvae will be cultured in a new and larger water incubator hidden from public view in the rear of the aquarium. With more room to grow jellies, staffers will have more to put on display, making for a better viewing experience.

There's more good news: For the first time, the aquarium will now have a back-up generator on reserve permanently that will act as a lifesaver when the electricity goes out again.

"We like to have the prettiest on display," said Engler.