Posted for Laura Starr

New research has highlighted the population patterns of our fishy friends at the Great Barrier Reef, which may hold the key to saving this pristine area from climate change (Herald Sun).

Marine scientists, from the ARC Centre of Excellence in Coral Reef Studies, used a genetic approach to study the relationship between fish populations along the reef. They’re convinced that protecting ‘pioneer’ fish, such as damselfish, is crucial for conserving the marine environment, because these fish can re-colonise areas of the reef that might be devastated by global warming.

The researchers looked at mitochondrial DNA of spiny damselfish, and from this they constructed a history of the population as a whole – mitochondrial DNA comes just from the mother’s side and doesn’t change from one generation to another. Populations at the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef were found to be ‘younger’ than those at the central and northern regions, because they underwent patterns of local extinction and re-colonisation. These were found to be natural cycles, not a result of direct human interference (ABC), but these cycles could very well be disrupted by climate change-induced warming and acidification of the oceans.

Line Bay, leader of the research, explained why understanding these relationships and patterns are so important for conservationists; “It’s about understanding how fish populations on separate reefs are connected to one another – that is key to whether or not a species may be at risk of complete extinction.”

Image: NOAA