Exploring Europe’s Biggest Jellyfish Farm

These stunning and eerie visuals showcase creatures born in Europe’s largest jellyfish breeding facility.

Photographer Heidi and Hans Jurgen Koch utilized a macro lens and studio lighting to create these images, though I was particularly intrigued by the jellyfish’s location, which cannot be photographed as it sinks to the bottom of a typical aquarium. The animals require “jellyfish” Kraisel or gyroscopes to generate necessary water movements; without them, swimming and feeding is impossible.

As jellyfish populations grow, they are increasingly seen as both an environmental challenge and a source of sustainable solutions, Koch asserts. With ocean temperatures rising, and issues like pollution and overfishing becoming more pressing, jellyfish numbers are surging, posing serious risks to ecosystems and economies.

Nevertheless, jellyfish also offer significant potential, including uses as animal feed, fertilizers, and even superfoods for humans, thanks to their anti-inflammatory and immunologically beneficial compounds. Their mucus can also serve as biofilters to keep plastics out of the oceans.

Pacific Compass Jellyfish (Chrysaora fuscescens) is featured in the main image. These jellyfish will be sent to zoos, aquariums, and research facilities. Below, the gyroscope simulates ocean currents for the Moon Jellyfish (Aurelia aurita). The pipette in the photograph shows Mangrove Jellyfish (Cassiopea xamachana).

As they mature, jellyfish reside on the seafloor, orienting their tentacles toward sunlight, where they have a symbiotic relationship with single-celled algae that assist with photosynthesis. The image above depicts jellyfish specimens being evaluated prior to shipment.