The concentration of carbon dioxide are estimated to occur in the sea at the end of this century will disturb the fish’s ability to hear, smell, change and avoid predators, research finds.
Australia Research Council Centre of Excellence coral study says it has tested the performance of baby coral fish in seawater containing higher levels of dissolved CO2 over the past few years.
“And now is quite clear that they maintain significant disturbance of the central nervous system, which tends to annoy them a chance to survive,” said Phillip Munday, a professor who reported the findings.
In a paper published in the journal Nature climate change, Munday and his colleagues also detailed what they say is a world-first evidence that high levels of CO2 in seawater disrupt key receptors of the brain of fish.