Aug 17, 2012

Sun photographer Algerina Perna shares her fascination for jellyfish — otherworldly creatures, she says — that have intrigued her ever since childhood.

: The Pacific Sea Nettle is very similar in appearance to the Northern Sea Nettle, but without the black star on its bell. The bell can be as large as 30 inches wide. Watching the jellyfish float leisurely in the tank evoked a feeling of peacefulness. Taken with a Nikon D700; IS0 400; F 3.2; shutter 1/125; 60mm. (Algerina Perna/Baltimore Sun)

: The ruffled part of this jellyfish (Pacific Sea Nettle) is the “oral arm” which is used to guide food to the mouth. Taken with a Nikon D700; ISO 400; F 4.0; shutter 1/125; 60mm. (Algerina Perna/Baltimore Sun)

: Moon Jellies dwell near the surface of shallow bays and harbors in moderate and tropical oceans. When food is not available, they can shrink to 1/10th of their size to conserve energy, then return to normal size when food once again becomes available. Taken with a Panasonic DMC-ZS7; ISO 800; F 3.3; shutter 1/40; 4.1mm. (Algerina Perna/Baltimore Sun)

: This photograph of Spotted Jellies in an aquarium reminds me of the Star Trek’s spaceship mission to “explore strange new worlds.” Taken with a Panasonic DMC-ZS7; ISO 800; F 3.3; shutter 1/200; 4.1mm. (Algerina Perna/Baltimore Sun)

: Children watch the Pacific Sea Nettles floating in the tank. Jellyfish are proliferating at greatly increased rates as their predators -fish and sea turtles- are decreasing. Jellies are the main diet for leatherback turtles which eat hundreds of pounds of jelly fish per day. Almost all species of sea turtles are endangered, including the leatherback turtles. Taken with a Nikon D700; ISO 1000; F 2.8; shutter 1/125; 17mm. (Algerina Perna/Baltimore Sun)

: The Upside-Down Jelly swims in the Caribbean, and off the coasts of Hawaii and Florida. Sunny shallow water is their favorite habitat. Taken with a Panasonic DMC-ZS7; ISO 200; F 3.5; shutter 1/100; 4.1mm. (Algerina Perna/Baltimore Sun)

: The long flexible appendages of jellyfish are covered with venomous cells that sting the jellyfish prey. Pictured is the Northern Sea Nettle. Taken with a Panasonic DMC-ZS7; ISO 200; F 3.3; shutter 1/15; 4.4mm. (Algerina Perna/Baltimore Sun)

: The Pacific Sea Nettle is very similar in appearance to the Northern Sea Nettle, but without the black star on its bell. The bell can be as large as 30 inches wide. Watching the jellyfish float leisurely in the tank evoked a feeling of peacefulness. Taken with a Nikon D700; IS0 400; F 3.2; shutter 1/125; 60mm. (Algerina Pera/Baltimore Sun)

: The Spotted Lagoon Jelly lives in the South Pacific Ocean usually in bays, harbors and lagoons. The maximum diameter of the bell can range up to 6 inches. Taken with a Nikon D700; ISO 400; F3.4; shutter 1/125; 60mm lens. (Algerina Perna/Baltimore Sun)

: Children observe a tank of Upside-Down jellies. Jellies eat Zooplankton, a collection of floating, drifting organisms primarily composed of microscopic algae and protozoa. Taken with a Nikon D700; ISO 2000; F 2.8; shutter 1/125; 17mm. (Algerina Perna/Baltimore Sun)

: The Pacific Sea Nettle is found in waters from Mexico to British Columbia and has traveled as far as Japan. They use “light-sensitive cells to swim towards sunlight.” I was mesmerized by it’s slow graceful movement as it floated within the tank. Taken with a Nikon D700; ISO 800; F4.0; shutter 1/125; 17mm. (Algerina Perna/Baltimore Sun)

: These Spotted Lagoon jellies appear to be floating in outer space. I aimed my camera toward the top of the tank, which captured the mirrored reflection of the jellies. Taken with a Panasonic DMC-ZS7; ISO 200; F 5.0; shutter 1/125; 4.1mm. (Algerina Perna/Baltimore Sun)

Jellyfish have intrigued me ever since I first saw them while playing along the Jersey shore as a young child.

I was both fascinated by and fearful of these otherworldly creatures that looked like wobbly clear glass bowls turned upside down, magnifying the sand grains underneath them. Fascinated because they were unlike anything I had ever seen before; fearful because everyone had warned me of their sting. Since then, my interest has waxed and waned, alternating between the summers I didn’t get stung, and those that I did.

Many years ago, the National Aquarium of Baltimore “Jellies” exhibit introduced me to a variety of sea nettles from other parts of the world. I was captivated by their color: shimmering translucent variations of burnt orange. I was mesmerized by their movement, which was like watching an underwater ballet.

Revisiting my fascination for jellyfish, I recently photographed the jellies at the National Aquarium using a Nikon D700 and a Panasonic point-and-shoot (modelI DMC-ZS7). I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of some of the photos taken with the Panasonic.

My strategy in taking the photos was to use the lowest ASA possible for the best resolution. To accomplish this, I waited until the jellyfish floated to the lightest part of the tank, which had lights on the top, sides and bottom. Each tank differed in brightness.

The basic anatomy of the jellyfish is as follows: The bell or hood is the rounded part at the top. The gonads, eye spots, mouth, and stomach pouch are all located under the hood of the bell. The tentacles are the long thin strands which have poisonous cells on their surface that sting the jellyfish prey. The oral arms are the long ruffled appendages hanging below the bell. They bring the food up to the mouth.

All the information in the accompanying captions is from the exhibit and website of the National Aquarium.

I hope you enjoy viewing these jellies as much as I enjoyed taking their pictures.

Photographing jellyfish and their underwater ballet

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