January 7, 2014 — Scientists have been saying for years that more carbon dioxide in the oceans is hurting sea life. But a new study says the impact goes beyond the physical. It says ocean acidification is changing behavior in fish.
Researchers know that ocean acidification can be harmful. The change is caused by an increase in carbon dioxide in ocean water. More CO2 means a more acidic habitat. It can wear away crab shells and fish scales, and it makes it harder for them to grow back.
But what about how acidification is making those species feel?
Martín Tresguerres is a marine biologist based out of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in California. In a recent study, his team set out to look at what goes on in the brains of juvenile rockfish when they live in acidified waters. He says rockfish have predictable behaviors, so it’s easier to see changes happening in what they do.
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