Researchers identify unique survival strategies in fish living in the world’s warmest waters
With rising ocean temperatures, the impact on fish and fisheries can be difficult to predict but is important for ecosystem health and economically, from jobs to the many people on Earth that rely on fish as a food source. Scientists researching the world’s hottest coral reefs, located in the Persian/Arabian Gulf, studied two fish species that they found to have adapted unique survival strategies. This findings challenge the previous belief that climate change and decreasing oxygen levels in oceans are causing smaller fish in warmer waters. The researchers did not find these species to be reduced in size, instead these fish demonstrated metabolic and swimming performance metrics that explain their survival in warmer waters, an ability to maintain efficient oxygen levels and elevated swimming speeds.
The Persian/Arabian Gulf provides for a natural study site for rising ocean temperatures and its impact on marine species. It will be interesting to see further studies done at this site and how that changes our predictions for the future of our oceans.
