Jobs depend on small reef fish
Small fish don't get much attention, but they play a vital role in keeping reefs free of seaweed and help keep 500 million people in a job worldwide. Image: ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies Jobs, livelihoods and ecotourism industries can benefit from having a diverse supply of weed-eating fish on the world’s coral reefs, marine researchers say.Despite their small size, relative to the sharks, whales, and turtles that often get more attention, herbivorous fish play a vital role in maintaining the health of coral reefs, which support the livelihoods of 500 million people worldwide, say researchers from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University, and the Australian Institute of Marine Science.“Herbivorous fishes protect coral reefs by limiting the growth of algae, or seaweed,” says Loïc Thibaut, lead researcher of a new study that has been published in the journal Ecology. “Seaweeds grow rapidly...