Hungry tropical fish, sea urchins marching south as kelp forests disappear

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

Pressurehead

Without risk, you earn nothing. OK?
ScubaBoard Supporter
Scuba Instructor
Divemaster
Messages
3,433
Reaction score
7,251
Location
Queensland .
# of dives
5000 - ∞
From ABC Australia, again:
"However, kelp forests there — from Byron Bay all the way to Tasmania — are in decline as waters become warmer, seaweed-eating tropical fish move south and sea urchin numbers explode. "
You have the same problem in the US [from what I have read].
Tropical fish follow warmer waters south, devouring kelp forests
 
We do have an exceptional problem with purple sea urchins and loss of kelp in California especially north of San Francisco on the North Coast. However we do not have any tropical fish.
 
Did an AAUS course about a week ago and found a barren developing at one of the survey locations in Big Sur. On some of the transects, you had to count over 200 purps before reaching 5m along the tape.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/

Back
Top Bottom