In the sea water around coral reefs, fish and other animals breed more successfully if the noise of motor boats and other vehicles is reduced. Scientists from the Universities of Exeter and Bristol (Great Britain) came to such conclusions after their study on one of the sections of the Great Barrier Reef of Australia.
They reduced the number of boats and people within 100 meters of a select group of corals. The experts then followed the reproduction of the spiny chromis fish. As a result, 65% of fish nests on quieter reefs were still brooding at the end of the season. The same indicator in areas with a busy movement of motor boats was only 40%. At the same time, the offspring were larger on quiet reefs, according to Phys.org.
Aquarium tests on the same species show that the noise disrupts important parenting habits, including fanning the eggs with their fins to provide oxygen. “Given that coral reefs around the world face multiple threats, the results of our experiment offer a way to help the survival of the inhabitants of these ecosystems,” said study co-author Sophie Nedelek from the University of Exeter.