Solving an old puzzle by dismissing new pieces? Moving beyond scientific traditions to understand the life cycle of scyphozoan jellyfish: reply to Morandini et al. (2016)

In a recent comment, Morandini and colleagues raised concerns about our article, "The elusive life cycle of scyphozoan jellyfish – metagenesis revisited." The main goal of our article was to motivate jellyfish scientists to pursue an improved understanding of bloom-forming jellyfish through critical examination of the current jellyfish life cycle model, and not to overthrow a long-standing paradigm. The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, by Thomas S. Kuhn, describes that for well-integrated members of a particular discipline, a paradigm in science might be so conclusive that even considering alternatives appears unconvincing and counter-intuitive. Because resistance might hinder progress within a discipline, we believe that paradigms should neither be challenged, nor defended, but constantly re-evaluated when new evidence appears. Following our original goal to move the field of jellyfish research forward, we are hoping to clear Morandini et al.'s concerns: (1) all points of criticism are addressed; and (2) we discuss why jellyfish ecologists ought to consider the current paradigm as a starting point, and not as the dead end, of our understanding of scyphozoan life cycles.