Marine biologist Debasish Mahapatro has recorded the first-ever bloom of the jellyfish species Lobonemoides robustus in Indian waters, only the second such sighting in Asia. The large swarming event was observed along Odisha’s ecologically sensitive Gahirmatha coast between September 27 and 28, 2022, a region famed as the world’s most important mass nesting site for Olive Ridley sea turtles.

The bloom, spanning nearly 20 sq/km, featured dense clusters of 200 to 700 jellyfish, making it one of the region’s most extensive aggregations. The findings were recently presented at the first International Conference on Sustainable Green Frontiers (SGF-2025) at KIIT University in Bhubaneswar.

Mahapatro noted that while L robustus had been reported sporadically from Palk Bay and Chennai, it had nev

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