Is that a Jellyfish or Plastic Bag?

photo: E. Loury

It’s clear, it’s blobby, and it floats in the ocean.  This photo of a moon jelly in Monterey Bay makes it easy to understand sea turtles’ confusion in mistaking plastic bags for their favorite snacks.   It’s a hard call when jellies can look so much like (no offense) trash.  Unfortunately for the turtles, the mistake can be fatal if too much of that non-digestible plastic accumulates in their stomachs.  Maybe they’d be better off sticking to jellies that resemble breakfast foods.