Algae-farming fish help coral reefs bounce back from bleaching events

1 year ago 83

Life

The beingness of territorial farmerfish that look aft algae gardens seems to assistance branching corals retrieve aft vigor accent has bleached them, but we aren't definite why

By Carolyn Wilke

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19 March 2023

Dusky gregory farmerfish Stegastes nigricans

Farmerfish are territorial and support their algae gardens

ArteSub/Alamy

Fish that thin patches of stringy algae look to shield branching corals from the worst effects of marine vigor waves and assistance them retrieve aft bleaching.

In 2019, the reefs adjacent the French Polynesian land of Moorea successful the South Pacific Ocean endured their worst vigor accent lawsuit successful 14 years. Because of immoderate six weeks of unusually lukewarm waters, branching corals determination bleached en masse, successful which they suffer the symbiotic algae surviving successful them that proviso astir of their food.

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