Impact of ocean warming on a coral reef fish learning and memory [PeerJ]
Por um escritor misterioso
Descrição
Tropical ectotherms are highly sensitive to environmental warming, especially coral reef fishes, which are negatively impacted by an increase of a few degrees in ocean temperature. However, much of our understanding on the thermal sensitivity of reef fish is focused on a few traits (e.g., metabolism, reproduction) and we currently lack knowledge on warming effects on cognition, which may endanger decision-making and survival. Here, we investigated the effects of warming on learning and memory in a damselfish species, Acanthochromis polyacanthus. Fish were held at 28–28.5 °C (control group), 30–30.5 °C (moderate warming group) or 31.5–32 °C (high warming group) for 2 weeks, and then trained to associate a blue tag (cue) to the presence of a conspecific (reward). Following 20 training trials (5 days), fish were tested for associative learning (on the following day) and memory storage (after a 5-days interval). The control group A. polyacanthus showed learning of the task and memory retention after five days, but increasing water temperature impaired learning and memory. A thorough understanding of the effects of heat stress, cognition, and fitness is urgently required because cognition may be a key factor determining animals’ performance in the predicted scenario of climate changes. Knowing how different species respond to warming can lead to better predictions of future community dynamics, and because it is species specific, it could pinpoint vulnerable/resilience species.
Coral Reefs Under Rapid Climate Change and Ocean Acidification
Warming Oceans Impact Reef Fish Learning and Memory
References A Decision Framework for Interventions to Increase
Global Change Biology, Environmental Change Journal
Remote Sensing, Free Full-Text
Global Change Biology, Environmental Change Journal
Assessment of storm impact on coral reef structural complexity
Bigfin reef squid demonstrate capacity for conditional discrimination
Experts Optimistic Coral Reefs Will Survive
Palau's warmest reefs harbor thermally tolerant corals that thrive
de
por adulto (o preço varia de acordo com o tamanho do grupo)