JeDI has been designed as an open-access database for all researchers, media and public to use as a current and future research tool and a data hub for general information on jellyfish populations.  With this resource, anyone can use JeDI to address questions about the spatial and temporal extent of jellyfish populations at local, regional and global scales, and the potential implications for ecosystem services and biogeochemical processes.

JeDI is a scientifically-coordinated global jellyfish database housed at the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS) , currently holding over 476,000 quantitative, categorical, presence-absence and presence only records on global jellyfish populations spanning the past two centuries. 

What is the Jellyfish Database Initiative (JeDI)?

JeDI is currently undergoing final modifications and conversion to a new open-access platform to be launched soon.  Information on how to deposit new jellyfish datasets into JeDI or for urgent requests to access data can be obtained by an email request to:


Dr. Rob Condon – JeDI Database Manager

Assistant Professor, University of North                        

Carolina Wilmington (UNCW), USA

Email: condonr@uncw.edu



Dr. Cathy Lucas – Assoc. Prof.                                

University of Southampton, National    

Oceanography Centre, UK

Email: cathy.lucas@noc.soton.ac.uk


Researchers using data from JeDI for scientific publication should reference:


  1. -Lucas, C.H., D.O.B. Jones, C.J. Hollyhead, R.H. Condon, C.M. Duarte, W.M. Graham, K.L. Robinson, K.A. Pitt, M. Schildhauer & J. Regetz. (2014). Gelatinous zooplankton biomass in the global ocean: geographic variation and environmental drivers. Global Ecology and Biogeography.

How do I access & contribute to JeDI?

The successful development of the first global-scale database of jellyfish by the Global Jellyfish Group was due, in large part, to the incredible generosity of members in the international jellyfish and wider scientific communities. 


Funding for JeDI and the Global Jellyfish Group came from:




A Truly Global Effort!

  1. •RIC BRODEUR, NOAA NW FISHERIES SCIENCE  CENTER (USA)

  2. •CHESEAPEAKE BAY PROGRAM (USA)

  3. •ROB CONDON, UNCW (USA)

  4. •MARY BETH DECKER, YALE UNIVERSITY (USA)

  5. •JASON EVERETT, U. NEW SOUTH WALES (AUS)

  6. •MAR K GIBBONS, U. OF THE WESTERN CAPE (S. AFRICA)

  7. •HUMBERTO GONZALEZ, U. AUSTRAL DE CHILE (CHILE)

  8. •MONTY GRAHAM, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI (USA)

  9. •STEVE HADDOCK, MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM RES. INST. (USA)

  10. •STEVE HAY, MARINE SCOTLAND MARINE LABORATORY (UK)

  11. •NATASHA HENSCHKE, U. NEW SOUTH WALES (AUS)

  12. •RUSSELL J. HOBSON, MARINE & FRESHWATER RESOURCES INSTITUTE (AUS)

  13. •MICHAEL KINGSFORD, JAMES COOK UNIVERSITY (AUS)

  14. •PATRICIA KREMER, U. CONNETICUT (USA)

  15. •MAIJU LEHTINIEMI, FINNISH ENVIRONMENTAL INSTITUTE (FN)

  16. •CATHY LUCAS UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON, NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHY CENTRE (UK)

  17. •LARRY MADIN, WHOI (USA)

  18. •HERMES MIANZAN, INIDEP (ARGENTINA)

  19. •NOAA NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE, SOUTHEASTERN

  20. •MARK OHMAN, SCRIPPS INSTITUTE OF OCEANOGRAPHY (USA)

  21. •KYLIE PITT, GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY (AUS)

  22. •DAVID RISSIK, DEPT. ENVIRON. RESOURCE MGMT. (AUS)

  23. •KEITH SHEARD, CSIRO (AUS)

  24. •IAIN SUTHERS, U. NEW SOUTH WALES (AUS)

  25. •SHIN-ICHI UYE, HIROSHIMA UNIVERSITY (JAPAN)

We would like to thank the many colleagues that have generously contributed data to JeDI.

JeDI: List of Contributors

  1. •CANADIAN DEPT. OF FISHERIES AND OCEANS

  2. •NOEL COLEMAN, MARINE & FRESHWATER RES. INST (AUS)

  3. •JACK COSTELLO, PROVIDENCE COLLEGE (USA)

  4. •DEPT. BIOLOGICAL DATA DIVISION OF DATA COLLECTION AND PROCESSING, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF POLAR RESEARCH (JAPAN)

  5. •LISA GERSHWIN, AUST. MARINE STINGER ADVISORY

  6. •RICARDO GIESECKE, U. AUSTRAL DE CHILE (CHILE)

  7. •GABY GORSKY, L’OBSERVATORIE DE VILLEFRANCHE SUR MER/UPMC (FRANCE)

  8. •WULF GREVE, GERMAN CNTR. FOR MARINE BIODIVERSITY RESEARCH (GERMANY)

  9. •CLAUDIA HALSBAND-LENK, PLYMOUTH MARINE LAB (UK)

  10. •GRAEME HAYS, SWANSEA UNIVERSITY (UK) 

  11. •VICTORIA HOBSON, SWANSEA UNIVERSITY (UK)

  12. •DEBORAH KLEIN (USA)

  13. •MARIO LEBRATO, IFM-GEOMAR (GERMANY)

  14. •JAN & JEFF LOVERIDGE, CORNWALL WILDLIFE TRUST MARINE STRANDINGS NETWORK (UK)

  15. •PETER MARTENS, STIFTUNG ALFRED WEGENER INSTITUTE FUR POLAR UND MEERESFORSCHUNG (GERMANY)

  16. •C. MILOŠ, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF BIOLOGY (SLOVENIA)

  17. •GREG PERRY, MARINE & FRESHWATER RES. INST. (AUS)

  18. •JENNIFER PURCELL, SHANNON POINT MARINE CENTER (USA)

  19. •KELLY ROBINSON, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI (USA)

  20. •LARS STEMMANN, L’OBSERVATORIE DE VILLEFRANCHE SUR MER/UPMC (FRANCE)

  21. •BARBARA SULLIVAN, U. RHODE ISLAND GSO (USA)

  22. •TERRY WALKER, MARINE & FRESHWATER RES. INST (AUS)