PUT-IN-BAY, Ohio — It's not every day you hear about jellyfish roaming around in Lake Erie. But that's exactly what researchers at Ohio State University's Stone Laboratory at Put-in-Bay are finding.

And they're finding a lot of them.

The tiny, translucent creatures, called freshwater jellyfish, were spotted this week near South Bass Island, right off of the lab's dock.

Research Coordinator Justin Chaffin says the creatures are non-native, but not invasive. That means they're harmless to both swimmers and the lake's ecosystem.

"They're completely harmless to people. They have stingers just like any other jellyfish, but their stingers are so small they can't pierce human skin," he explained. "So if you do pick one up and you hold it in your hands, you're not gonna get stung by it. I

See Full Page