Warming seas off the eastern Australia coast are forcing a particularly deadly jellyfish to move south towards Queensland's Gold Coast, a popular tourist destination.

Jamie Seymour, a jellyfish expert and associate professor of toxinology at James Cook University, told the Australia Associated Press that he has little doubt that warming seas are behind a recent spate of sightings of the tiny but deadly Irukandji jellyfish.

Seymour has been outspoken about the threat from the jellyfish to beaches along Australia's eastern coast and says their arrival could have a negative impact on the region's tourism industry.

“It would shut beaches. It would collapse tourism,” Seymour told AAP.

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Irukandji jellyfish are thought to be the most venomous creature on the planet, according to irukandjijellyfish.com. The jellyfish might be tiny at just one inch in diameter, but they pack a deadly punch. Documented in 1952 by Hugo Flecker, symptoms from a sting include vomiting, profuse sweating, headache, agitation, rapid heart rate and very high blood pressure. The collection of symptoms are known collectively as the Irukandji syndrome. A sting can eventually lead to heart failure and death if not treated quickly.

While Seymour continues to advocate for early intervention to stop the arrival of the jellyfish, Daniel Gschwind, the Queensland Tourism Industry’s chief executive officer, says it's too soon to panic. 

“We want people to have a great time here and go away healthy. We are concerned about any potential risk but there is no need to be alarmed at this point,” Gschwind told AAP.