PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Better ocean connectivity boosts reef fish populations

Better ocean connectivity boosts reef fish populations
2024-10-17
(Press-News.org) Research led by the University of Oxford has found that oceanographic connectivity (the movement and exchange of water between different parts of the ocean) is a key influence for fish abundance across the Western Indian Ocean (WIO). The findings have been published today in the ICES Journal of Marine Sciences.

Connectivity particularly impacted herbivorous reef fish groups, which are most critical to coral reef resilience, providing evidence that decision-makers should incorporate connectivity into how they prioritise conservation areas.

The study also revealed that, alongside oceanographic connectivity, sea surface temperature and levels of chlorophyll (the green pigment in plants that drives photosynthesis) strongly predict reef fish distribution and abundance in the WIO. Protecting reefs is essential in this area, particularly for rapidly growing local communities, which are highly dependent on reefs and vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

Lead author Laura Warmuth (Department of Biology, University of Oxford) said: “It was striking that herbivorous fish – which are critical to reef resilience – were particularly strongly impacted by ocean connectivity. Efficient conservation area prioritisation should include connectivity for decision making regarding marine protected area management across country borders. This is particularly relevant in the human-pressured WIO region, where annual bleaching is predicted on most coral reefs by mid-century, even under optimistic climate change scenarios.”

Coastal communities are highly dependent on reefs for food security, with small-scale fisheries providing up to 99% of protein intake and around 82% of household income in the WIO. Home to some of the world’s poorest communities and seeing rapid population growth, locals are at an ever-increasing risk of climate change, which has the potential to devastate reefs with successive coral bleaching.

While sea surface temperatures are rising around the world, temperatures in the Indian Ocean are increasing faster than other tropical oceans – and it is one of the most vulnerable ocean regions to thermal stress. Fish diversity is central to reef resilience, providing several key services to reefs by their different feeding patterns such as feeding on algae which can compete with corals.

The researchers developed a metric of proportional oceanographic connectivity to simplify complex oceanographic models, allowing them to incorporate this element into ecological models. Typically, across the study reef sites, medium connectivity levels were associated with higher fish abundances, rather than high levels. High connectivity may help with larvae dispersal but can come with side effects, such as stronger wave exposure or increased dispersal of pollutants or invasive species.

The study revealed that sea surface temperatures and chlorophyll levels also had a strong influence on the abundance of fish species at all levels of the food chain.

Senior author Professor Mike Bonsall (Department of Biology, University of Oxford) added: “It is really imperative that decision-makers responsible for marine planning understand how ocean patterns and environmental factors affect reef fish across the food chain. Our work emphasizes how crucial this link is between ocean currents and fish ecology for understanding the broader impact of environmental change and fishing regulations on sensitive coral reef fish systems.”

The researchers now plan to explore the impacts of human activities, including how human population density and market distance affect reef fish abundance and biomass in the WIO. They will also investigate how environmental and oceanographic factors are predicted to change for different climate change scenarios, and how fish abundances and distributions will change with them.

The study was a collaboration between the University of Oxford, the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton, UK, the Coastal Oceans Research and Development in the Indian Ocean (CORDIO) NGO in Mombasa, Kenya, the Institute of Zoology in London, UK, and the Bertarelli Foundation Marine Science Programme.

Notes to editors Interviews with Laura Warmuth and Mike Bonsall are available on request: contact comms@biology.ox.ac.uk

The paper ‘Environmental change and connectivity drive coral reef fish abundance in the Western Indian Ocean’ will be published in ICES Journal of Marine Sciences at 00:00 BST Friday 18 October / 19:00 ET Thursday 17 October 2024. It will be available online when the embargo lifts at https://academic.oup.com/icesjms/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/icesjms/fsae125

To view a copy of the paper before this, under embargo, contact comms@biology.ox.ac.uk

Images that can be used to illustrate articles can be found here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1KysxAK6bgEGMSf9SFZNu_gMR_dUVOKL_ These are for editorial purposes only and MUST be credited. They MUST NOT be sold on to third parties.

About the University of Oxford

Oxford University has been placed number 1 in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings for the ninth year running, and ​number 3 in the QS World Rankings 2024. At the heart of this success are the twin-pillars of our ground-breaking research and innovation and our distinctive educational offer.

Oxford is world-famous for research and teaching excellence and home to some of the most talented people from across the globe. Our work helps the lives of millions, solving real-world problems through a huge network of partnerships and collaborations. The breadth and interdisciplinary nature of our research alongside our personalised approach to teaching sparks imaginative and inventive insights and solutions.

Through its research commercialisation arm, Oxford University Innovation, Oxford is the highest university patent filer in the UK and is ranked first in the UK for university spinouts, having created more than 300 new companies since 1988. Over a third of these companies have been created in the past five years. The university is a catalyst for prosperity in Oxfordshire and the United Kingdom, contributing £15.7 billion to the UK economy in 2018/19, and supports more than 28,000 full time jobs.

The Department of Biology is a University of Oxford department within the Maths, Physical, and Life Sciences Division. It utilises academic strength in a broad range of bioscience disciplines to tackle global challenges such as food security, biodiversity loss, climate change and global pandemics. It also helps to train and equip the biologists of the future through holistic undergraduate and graduate courses. For more information visit www.biology.ox.ac.uk.

END

[Attachments] See images for this press release:
Better ocean connectivity boosts reef fish populations Better ocean connectivity boosts reef fish populations 2 Better ocean connectivity boosts reef fish populations 3

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Two 2024 Nobel laureates are affiliates of the Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole

Two 2024 Nobel laureates are affiliates of the Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole
2024-10-17
The Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) in Woods Hole, Mass., has long been a magnet for scientific talent, as partly evidenced by the long list of Nobel laureates affiliated with the lab since 1929. Last week, the MBL was proud to add two new scientists to this list, which now includes 63 names: * Gary Ruvkin, former co-director of the MBL Biology of Aging course, was co-recipient with Victor Ambros of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (for the discovery of microRNA and its role in gene regulation). here. * John Hopfield, former faculty in the MBL Methods in Computational Neuroscience ...

Ultra-processed foods pose unique dangers for people with type 2 diabetes

Ultra-processed foods pose unique dangers for people with type 2 diabetes
2024-10-17
Consuming more ultra-processed foods — from diet sodas to packaged crackers to certain cereals and yogurts — is closely linked with higher blood sugar levels in people with Type 2 diabetes, a team of researchers in nutritional sciences, kinesiology and health education at The University of Texas at Austin have found. In a paper recently published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the team describes how — even more than just the presence of sugar and salt in the diet — having more ultra-processed ...

When hurricanes hit, online chatter drowns out safety messaging

2024-10-17
Hoboken, N.J. October 17, 2024 – When natural disasters strike, social networks like Facebook and X (formerly known as Twitter) can be powerful tools for public communication—but often, rescue workers and government officials struggle to make themselves heard above the general hubbub.  In fact, new research from the Stevens Institute of Technology shows, during four recent major hurricanes, important public safety messaging was drowned out by more trivial social content—including people tweeting about pets, sharing human-interest stories, or bickering about politics. That’s a big problem for officials working to understand where help is needed ...

Study seeks rapid, paper-based test to detect cancer cells in cerebrospinal fluid

2024-10-17
With time being of the essence for patients facing one of cancer's most dire complications, UCLA researchers are working to create a new test to detect cancer’s spread to the central nervous system on the same day as the doctor’s visit. When cancer spreads from its primary site, such as the lungs or breast, to the brain or spine, there are well-established methods of treating it. However, when these metastases spread to the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), a condition known as leptomeningeal disease (LMD), median survival drops to around four ...

Raising happy eaters: Unlocking the secrets of childhood appetite

Raising happy eaters: Unlocking the secrets of childhood appetite
2024-10-17
URBANA, Ill. — The foundation for healthy eating behavior starts in infancy. Young children learn to regulate their appetite through a combination of biological, psychological, and sociological factors. In a new paper, researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign propose a model that explores these factors and their interactions, providing guidelines for better understanding childhood appetite self-regulation. “When we talk about obesity, the common advice is often to just eat less and exercise more. That’s a simplistic recommendation, which almost makes it seem ...

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons launches two new thoracic surgery risk calculators

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons launches two new thoracic surgery risk calculators
2024-10-17
CHICAGO, IL – October 17, 2024 – The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) announces the release of two new risk calculators to inform physician-patient decision-making in thoracic surgery. Engineered using contemporary data from the STS General Thoracic Surgery Database, these interactive tools provide surgeons with accurate, preoperative risk estimations for outcomes of esophagectomy for cancer and pulmonary resection for lung cancer. The mobile-friendly risk calculators allow surgeons and multidisciplinary ...

FAPESP and CNR plan to launch joint call for proposals in April 2025

FAPESP and CNR plan to launch joint call for proposals in April 2025
2024-10-17
FAPESP representatives visited the headquarters of Italy’s Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR) in Bologna on October 16th to sign a new work plan that will enable the implementation of a cooperation agreement signed by the institutions in December 2023. The aim is to enable joint funding of research projects in the following areas: Cultures, Inmaterial Heritage, Interdisciplinary Networks; Agri-food and Sustainable Development; Technology and Innovation; and Health and the Environment. Researcher mobility and ...

Smaller, more specific academic journals have more sway over policy

2024-10-17
DURHAM, N.C. – Scientists don't just want their results to be published; they want them to be published in the most influential journal they can find. This focus on a high 'impact factor' is driven by their concerns about promotion and tenure, but it may be overlooking the important role that smaller publications can play in the advancement of their science. A new paper, “Role of low-impact-factor journals in conservation implementation,” appearing Oct. 17 in the journal Conservation ...

Medicaid ACOs have not yet improved care for kids with asthma

2024-10-17
In its first three years of operation, Medicaid’s primary care-focused Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) in Massachusetts showed “no clear evidence of success” in improving asthma care for children, according to research led by the University of Massachusetts Amherst and UMass Chan Medical School-Baystate Health. The study, published recently in JAMA Pediatrics, compared the asthma care of Medicaid-insured children affiliated with a Medicaid ACO to that of children with private insurance. Senior author Dr. Sarah Goff, a practicing pediatrician and internist ...

New study sheds light on lily toxicity in cats; outpatient treatment may be viable option

2024-10-17
FOR MORE INFORMATION Michael San Filippo Senior Media Relations Manager American Veterinary Medical Association Cell/Text: 847-732-6194 msanfilippo@avma.org   New study sheds light on lily toxicity in cats; outpatient treatment may be viable option   (SCHAUMBURG, Illinois) October 17, 2024—A study published recently in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA) has revealed new insights into the treatment of cats exposed to toxic lilies, offering hope for pet owners facing this common household hazard. The study (“Prevalence of acute kidney ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

How chain IVF clinics improve infertility treatment

Study shows that Rett syndrome in females is not just less severe, but different

Big data, real world, multi-state study finds RSV vaccine highly effective in protecting older adults against severe disease, hospitalization and death

Manliness concerns impede forgiveness of coworkers

Better ocean connectivity boosts reef fish populations

Two 2024 Nobel laureates are affiliates of the Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole

Ultra-processed foods pose unique dangers for people with type 2 diabetes

When hurricanes hit, online chatter drowns out safety messaging

Study seeks rapid, paper-based test to detect cancer cells in cerebrospinal fluid

Raising happy eaters: Unlocking the secrets of childhood appetite

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons launches two new thoracic surgery risk calculators

FAPESP and CNR plan to launch joint call for proposals in April 2025

Smaller, more specific academic journals have more sway over policy

Medicaid ACOs have not yet improved care for kids with asthma

New study sheds light on lily toxicity in cats; outpatient treatment may be viable option

A new benchmark to recognize the hardest problems in materials science

Why do we love carbs? The origins predate agriculture and maybe even our split from Neanderthals

Key protein for the biosynthesis of defense steroids in solanaceous plants discovered

Global CO2 emissions from forest fires increase by 60%

AI-assisted deliberation can help people with different views find common ground

Special Issue explores factors influencing democratic attitudes, and what’s at stake for science in the U.S. after November election

Extratropical forest fire emissions are increasing as climate changes

A new approach to capturing complex mixtures of organic chemicals in blood, evaluated in pregnant women

Gut instincts: Intestinal nutrient sensors

Catching prey with grappling hooks and cannons

Effects of chemical mixtures: Neurotoxic effects add up

Mpox in Africa was neglected during the previous outbreak, and requires urgent action and investment by leaders now to prevent global spread

A new era of treating neurological diseases at the blood-brain-immune interface

Astronomers detect ancient lonely quasars with murky origins

New study highlights the dangers of handheld cellphone use among teen drivers

[Press-News.org] Better ocean connectivity boosts reef fish populations