Long-term Distribution and Northward Shift of Box Jellyfish in Korean Waters, 2011-2025

Carybdea brevipedalia is the only cubozoan species reported from Korean waters and a major cause of summer jellyfish stings. This dataset integrates researcher-led surveys from 2013-2025 with nationwide monitoring records from the National Institute of Fisheries Science from 2011-2025. It applies an occurrence level index to evaluate relative occurrence across methods and suggests a possible northward expansion of the species distribution.

Use Cases

• Analyze long-term spatiotemporal distribution patterns based on integrated survey and monitoring records.
• Model potential northward range expansion signals based on confirmed record shifts from Hwajin to Hupo.
• Assess regional occurrence unevenness based on data showing the southern coast as the main area and sporadic records from Jeju Island.
• Evaluate monitoring framework effectiveness based on the combination of nocturnal light attraction, underwater observation, and specimen-based confirmation.

Strengths

• Integrates two data sources spanning up to 15 years, from 2011 to 2025.
• Applies a standardized occurrence level index to enable comparison across different survey methods.
• Includes field confirmations supporting a northward shift of the northernmost record from 36°15′N to 36°40′N.

Limitations

• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

Gunhee Sung, via figshare.

Collection Method

Integration of researcher-led surveys (2013-2025) and nationwide monitoring records from the National Institute of Fisheries Science (NIFS; 2011-2025).

Time Range

2011 to 2025

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-27 04:14:31; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Korean waters, including the southern coast, Jeju Island, and the East Sea coast.