A new study by a team of international scientists has shown that fish communities on the Great Barrier Reef are changing due to global heating.
What's happening?
As reported by ScienceDaily, the study has unearthed long-term and persistent changes in the biodiversity of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. This change is linked to increases in the frequency and severity of pressures such as warmer water, coral bleaching, and cyclones as a result of a changing climate.
The team of researchers, led by scientists at Lancaster University in the U.K., analyzed data from the Australian Institute of Marine Science's Long-Term Monitoring Program, which surveyed fish and coral species along more than 1,200 kilometers (746 miles) along the Great Barrier Reef between 1995 and 2022.
The scientists found that the number of fish species and composition of the fish communities that live on the Great Barrier Reef has changed a lot since the 1990s. The data also revealed that the observed changes were different on different parts of the reef.
Specifically, the researchers found that in the northernmost parts of the reef, the number of different fish species has been reduced, whereas an increase was observed in the southernmost sectors.
"With disturbances becoming more frequent and severe, the patterns in fish diversity and abundance we have come to expect are changing, and this will alter the benefits the fish provide for the ecosystem and for people," said Professor Nick Graham of Lancaster University, according to ScienceDaily.
Why is this important?
The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest and most diverse reef ecosystem and is home to 400 types of coral, 1,500 species of fish, and 4,000 types of mollusks, according to UNESCO.
The reef provides thousands of jobs and supports commercial, recreational, and indigenous fishing. The reef fish play an important role in the functioning of the reef by controlling seaweed growth and producing sand. Changes in these fish communities could alter the benefits that they provide to both the ecosystem and people.
A warming planet is not only impacting biodiversity on the Great Barrier Reef. Warming temperatures and increased extreme weather events are causing changes globally. For example, in some areas, invasive species are spreading at alarming rates as a result of the changing climate, and in others, increases in temperature and droughts are impacting crop production.
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Absolutely 👍 What's being done to protect the reef?
In 2015 the Australian Government introduced the Reef 2050 Plan, a flexible framework that guides the government on the actions that need to be taken to protect and restore the reef.
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The government is working with a range of partners, including state governments, scientists, and Traditional Owners, to develop long-term solutions to protect the reef. These include limiting the impacts of the overheating planet and reducing the impact of land- and water-based activities.
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