Tropical Fish Are Like Locusts, But For Kelp
Wednesday, July 9, 2014 - 03:10
in Earth & Climate
The migration of tropical fish poses a serious threat to the areas they invade, because they overgraze on kelp forests and seagrass meadows. The harmful impact of tropical fish is already evident in southern Japanese waters and the eastern Mediterranean, where there have been dramatic declines in kelps. There is also emerging evidence in Australia and the US that the spread of tropical fish towards the poles is causing damage in the areas they enter. The authors blame the increased fish on warming oceans due to climate change that have led to hotspots in regions where the currents that transport warm tropical waters towards the poles are strengthening. read more