Even jellyfish sleep!
Many years ago, I studied photosynthesis in the upside down jellyfish Cassiopeia. Today I learned that they sleep at night, which makes sense since, like solar panels, Cassiopeia’s symbiotic alga only work when the sun shines.
But, wait, jellyfish sleep? This article from Nature discusses that all animals, even those without brains, sleep. Apparently while animals sleep they use the time to repair DNA within their nervous systems. If you really want to dive deeply into the details check out this article from Nature Communications. But for the rest of us, appreciate that when we sleep, our brain is working. And that even includes politicians who doze during cabinet meetings & other briefings, at least, for those who have a brain!
So, how do sleeping jellyfish relate to climate change? Cassiopeia live in tropical mangroves, which like coral reefs are significantly threatened by marine heatwaves. And, those heat waves (and ocean acidification) are caused by burning fossil fuels. So, please keep working to end our addiction to fossil fuels and support the transition to a zero-carbon future. Work to elect climate-active & science-literate representatives at all levels, local, state, and nationally. It’ll make you feel better & you’ll meet wonderful people!
Cheers, Bill
