OCEANPORT - A jellyfish with a wicked sting that has invaded New Jersey waters this summer is now responsible for the postponing and altogether cancelation of water-based events on the Jersey Shore.
The organizers of the Shore Paddle stand-up paddleboard event on the Shrewsbury River, which was scheduled to take place on July 9 to benefit Clean Ocean Action, became one of the first groups in New Jersey to choose the safety of their participants over hosting a planned event when they announced their event would be rescheduled for the spring of 2017.
The third annual event, hosted by the Shrewsbury Sailing & Yacht Club in Oceanport, invited participants of all ages to take part in events ranging from a 5.5-mile WPA sanctioned non-points race to a free half-mile kids paddle.
Clean Ocean Action and the Shore Paddle Committee made the announcement on Friday via the event's website and social media accounts:
"As you may have heard, the invasive clinging jellyfish (Gonionemus vertens) has recently appeared in abundance in several of New Jersey's estuaries and bays. The sting of this jellyfish is severe to people and can cause serious pain and injury. Unfortunately, the most abundant population in N.J. has been documented in the Shrewsbury River, where there have been a few recent cases of individuals being stung and harmed by the jellyfish," the announcement said. "To ensure the safety of all paddlers and event-goers, Clean Ocean Action and the Shore Paddle Committee have decided to postpone the Shore Paddle until spring of 2017. The exact date will be determined in the coming weeks."
People who preregistered and/or prepaid to participate in the event are expected to receive an email early next week with addition information on registration options.
On Sunday, the board of the Navesink Maritime Heritage Association also announced it would be cancelling its River Rangers youth program this year due to the jellyfish, as well as Navesink River pollution.
"Over the past twelve years of successful River RangersSM programs on our local waters, we have made child safety and wellbeing our #1 priority. In the last weeks we have had to acknowledge two issues that impact our duty to keep your children safe - Navesink River pollution and an invasive Pacific Ocean jelly fish that, although very small, has a poisonous sting," the NMHA said in a release. "Because the River Rangers program is as much about being IN the water as ON it while studying our environment and having a good time, these reports led us to the decision to cancel this year's program."
The association said parents who already paid for their children to participate would receive complete refunds.
The dime-sized clinging jellyfish aren't new to the United States - having been introduced to the East Coast from the Pacific in 1894 in Woods Hole, Mass. - but they are new to New Jersey.
Paul Bologna, director of marine biology and coastal science at Montclair State University, told NJ Advance Media that a fisherman in Point Pleasant reported the first sighting in early June.
When news of that sighting spread, more people started reporting additional sightings.
A Middletown man was later hospitalized after being stung while swimming in the Shrewsbury River, the Monmouth Beach Office of Emergency Management reported in a June 15 alert.
The creature's sting can cause "excruciating pain", muscle weakness and serious medical problems, including kidney failure, experts have said.
Because they are small, the clinging jellyfish tend to stay in calm water, so they're not likely to be found in the ocean, Bologna said. They also generally inhabit the shallower water of bays, "clinging" to eel grass or seaweed during the day and surfacing to feed at night.
Any who sees the distinctive jellyfish in a local waterway is being asked to report it to the state Department of Environmental Protection by calling 877-WARN-NJDEP, and to also take a photo of the jellyfish from a distance.
Rob Spahr may be reached at rspahr@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheRobSpahr. Find NJ.com on Facebook.