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2563794 
Journal Article 
Effects of bleaching and nutrient supplementation on wet weight in the jellyfish Cassiopea xamachana (Bigelow) (Cnidaria : Scyphozoa) 
Mcgill, CJ; Pomory, CM 
2008 
1 
Marine and Freshwater Behaviour and Physiology
ISSN: 0091-181X
EISSN: 1023-6244 
41 
3 
179-189 
WOS:000259226500004 
Cassiopea xamachana were bleached by elevated temperature or held in complete darkness. Wet weight was measured over several weeks in bleached and unbleached individuals with or without addition of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and/or particulate organic matter (POM) in a three-factor experiment. Wet weight decreased to a greater extent in temperature-bleached individuals compared to unbleached individuals. Bleaching by darkness produced differences that took longer to manifest themselves compared with temperature bleaching suggesting more than just loss of photosynthetic capability results from heat bleaching. No differences were found between jellyfish based on DOM and/or POM treatments. Heat stress combined with loss of zooxanthellae negatively effects C. xamachana over short time spans indicating the potential for this species to be impacted by natural bleaching events. Cassiopea xamachana could also be a useful model for further study of the effects of bleaching and the recovery. 
bleaching; Scyphozoa; Dinoflagellata; symbiosis; thermal stress; symbiodinium; Cassiopea xamachana