December 15, 2015 — The ability of baby fish to find a home, or other safe haven, to grow into adulthood will be severely impacted under predicted ocean acidification, University of Adelaide research has found.
Published today in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the researchers report the interpretation of normal ocean sound cues which help baby fish find an appropriate home is completely confused under the levels of CO2 predicted to be found in oceans by the end of the century.
“Locating appropriate homes is a crucial step in the life cycle of fish,” says Tullio Rossi, PhD candidate with the University’s Environment Institute. “After hatching in the open ocean, baby fish travel to reefs or mangroves as safe havens to feed and grow into adults.
“Baby fish can find those places through ocean noise: snapping shrimps and other creatures produce sounds that the baby fish follow.
“But when ocean acidity increases due to increased CO2, the neurological pathways in their brain are affected and, instead of heading towards those sounds, they turn tail and swim away.”
Read the full story at Science Daily