IN A MARINE HEATWAVE, CLOWNFISH GET SMALL TO GET BY

Researchers found that during a heatwave, mortality among clownfish that could shrink their bodies fell by 78%

- 

In 2023-2024, the world suffered a devastating coral bleaching event during which 84% of the world's reefs spanning 83 countries and territories were affected. Scientists have since linked the event to ocean warming and marine heatwaves — extended periods of high sea surface temperature than usual.

These phenomena are of great research interest because they have several consequences for marine ecosystems and the human livelihoods and industries that depend on them.For example, a study in Science Advances on May 21 has now revealed that adult clownfish can shrink, regrow, and even synchronise these changes with their partners, using body size as a flexible tool to survive the stress of hot water.