As Earth’s oceans continue to heat up, an international team of scientists have pinpointed some unexpected ways that coral reef fish living in the A

Fish in Earth’s hottest water defy the odds

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2024-07-03 02:00:05

As Earth’s oceans continue to heat up, an international team of scientists have pinpointed some unexpected ways that coral reef fish living in the Arabian/Persian Gulf have adapted to survive in extreme temperatures. Changes in both metabolism and swimming abilities appear to help these fish live in some of the hottest waters on the planet, according to a study published July 1 in the journal Nature Communications.

In May, the average daily global sea surface temperature hit a new all-time high of 69.67 degrees Fahrenheit. Not only was this an all time high, but it was the 14th consecutive month of record warm water. This excess heat can help tropical storms rapidly intensify, bleach coral, and wreak havoc on other marine life.

In the Arabian Gulf, sea surface temperatures already range from 75 to 90°F in the Strait of Hormuz, to 60 to 90°F in the extreme northwest of the gulf. It’s home to several reef fish, whale sharks, and the spotted blue ray among other marine life. Here, the typical summer water temperatures are already comparable to worst-case ocean warming projections for many other tropical coral reefs around the world by 2100.

Additionally, the increased warming of our oceans is anticipated to affect both marine life and the fishing industry. Some current scientific models predict that coral reef fishes could shrink in size by 14 to 39 percent from increasing temperatures due to climate change.