RESEARCHERS who caught 70 deadly irukandji jellyfish in one hour off Cairns' northern beaches say global warming may be to blame for a longer stinger season than ever before.

James Cook University researchers have gathered historical data from reports of irukandji stings occurring in the Cairns region during the past 60 years and concluded the season has grown from two months every year in the 1950s to a current season that lasts six months.

The researchers have warned that swimmers need to stay out of the water at beaches without stinger nets until well into the year compared with what they may have done in past decades.

While the stinger season on average still starts at the end of October or the start of November, the end of the season appears to have been delayed over the decades.

Results from the study by stinger expert Dr Jamie Seymour and PhD student Teresa Carrette suggest increased water temperature because of climate change may have contributed to a longer stinger season.

"When you plot up what the length of the season has done with time, there is this just beautiful correlation, which is just increasing," Dr Seymour said.

"The start of the season stays the same. The end of the season is getting longer and longer and longer."

Dr Seymour said the project demonstrated swimmers needed to be on the lookout for marine stingers for longer periods during the year.

A joint study by JCU and Queensland Health is trying to find a cure for marine stinger venom.

The Queensland-first project involves testing the effect irukandji and box jellyfish venom has on human heart cells. Venom from box jellyfish, considered to be among the most deadly in the world, contains toxins that attack the heart and nervous system.

A collection effort off the northern beaches was successful in capturing 70 irukandji specimens in an hour for the study, and about 200 over five days.

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