A Portuguese man o’ war found on the beach in Harvey Cedars, NJ, June 21, 2015. (Photo: Harvey Cedars Beach Patrol)
A marine biology professor who studies jellyfish said no Portuguese man o’ wars were found washed up during a search of Island Beach State Park Tuesday.
The jellyfish-like creature, which packs a very painful bite and is dangerous to those allergic to its venom, has been present in local waters over the past week. It has been found washed up at the state park, as well as in Harvey Cedars, Surf City, Ship Bottom and Stone Harbor.
A team of students from Montclair State University scoured the beach at Island Beach State Park on Tuesday looking for specimens that could be brought back to a lab at the university where DNA tests were to be performed. None were found.
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“Good news, we did not encounter any,” said Dr. Paul Bologna, Director of the Marine Biology and Coastal Sciences Program at Montclair State University. “We did not encounter any, but be aware of your surroundings.”
Bologna told Shorebeat on Monday that he hoped the DNA testing would reveal whether the wave of man o’ wars washing up on Jersey Shore beaches were from the same group that was washing up on Florida beaches six to eight weeks ago.
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