Coral degradation and flow-on effects to reef fishes

摘要

The coral reefs of the world are under threat fromover-harvest, pollution and climate change, which has lead75% of the world’s reefs to be classed as threatened in 2011.For many reefs these threats have led to a marked reductionin hard corals, particularly as a result of coral bleachingthrough thermal stress. As corals bleach and die, the fishcommunity changes – there are still fishes present, but therejust aren’t as many different varieties. While researchers havedocumented the changes in fish community that occur ashabitats degraded and change, the mechanisms that lead tothat change are poorly understood.