Under the deep blue sea, thousands of species find their shelter in the beautiful coral reefs. They are entirely dependent on this for food, shelter and reproduction. But if the corals no more exist, where should they go? The global worming is a big danger for life under the sea. Many of the corals have already died of the warm water caused by the climatic change.
Philip Murphy, the co-author of this study says that there are varieties of fishes, plants and corals living inside the ocean. The special kind of coral fishes can not survive when the corals die. In a particular stage of their life, they need it for everything. These fishes live in communities and their health is gradually degrading due to the unhealthy coral communities.
Corals as well as the coral fishes are incapable of adapting to the changing climate. Now their comfortable environment is getting a little warmer, which is affecting them a lot. But Murphy further adds that the consequent may lead to anything- like warm water may give rise to higher rates of survival in baby fish, but it may reduce reproduction in the adult fish. Because water condition is much significant for reproduction. The problem is that when the coral fishes breed, their eggs are swept out into the water, but again the little fishes swim back and resettle on the same reef. So if the natural condition of the reef alters, this process is disturbed leaving a threat to their survival and growth.
But this is not the only thing affected by climate change. Almost 200 million people worldwide depend on coral reefs, for their livelihood. These corals with their beautiful fishes enrich $5 billion tourism industry alone in Australia. Thousands of visitors are attracted by this colorful natural beauty, when the fishes come to the surface for sunlight.
It seems global warming is going to affect each and every species on this earth; so how can these tiny creatures make an escape?
Source: ndtv