Carbon Dioxide Damage Fish Brain

Carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations continue to increase proven effect on the fish that live in the ocean. Thus the results of a study published in the journal Nature Climate Change recently.

“And now it is quite clear that the CO2 gas caused significant damage to the central nervoussystem of fish, which will result in the inability to survive,” said Phillip Muday, researchers, asreported by AFP on Monday (1/16/2012).

“We found that the increase in dissolved CO2 in the ocean can affect neurotransmitter functiondirectly, which would be a direct threat and had never known before,” said Munday.

Munday study how the behavior or the baby clownfish nemo fish and damselfish (Stegastesnigricans) in the middle of predators in an environment that is high CO2 levels. Researchers found that the concentration of CO2 does affect the baby clownfish and damselfish.

“Our results show that the baby’s ability to smell fish disturbed by the large concentration of CO2in water, meaning that they are hard to find corals for shelter as well as detect the smell of fishpredators,” said Munday.

The results also indicate that the sense of hearing is also impaired due to fish the high CO2levels. This causes the fish more vulnerable to predators. Meanwhile, the fish also lose theinstinct to move left and right.

“This all shows us that instead of minor damage that occurred to their senses, but that high CO2levels affect the entire central nervous system,” said Munday.

Munday said, 2.3 billion tons of CO2 dissolved in the water each year. This would threaten fishand other marine organisms. Research was conducted by the Center of Excellence for CoralReef, Australia.