New research conducted using artificial intelligence reveals a significant decline in the population of clownfish in the Southern Great Barrier Reef from 2012 to 2021. According to Live Science, nearly 7,000 clownfish have been killed in this region over the past 10 years. Scientists analyzed data from the past two decades and found that the clownfish population decreased by 20% in the last decade. The mortality of these fish has been linked to the strong underwater currents caused by the world’s strongest underwater waterfall, known as the “Katil,” as reported by Focus.

The team used artificial intelligence to evaluate the population changes of clownfish over the past 20 years. They observed a 5.9% increase from 2002 to 2012, but a 20% decrease from 2012 to 2021, resulting in a total of 26,662 individuals. The decline in clownfish population is directly related to the emergence of the “blight” in the Southern Great Barrier Reef, a warm water anomaly associated with climate change. The blight’s temperature is significantly higher than the average Celsius temperature. It has spread over nearly 4 million square kilometers from the Gulf of Alaska to Mexico.

The warm water anomaly has disrupted the food chain, affecting the availability of prey for smaller organisms. This, in turn, has impacted larger organisms like the clownfish. These fish feed on coral, anemones, and other marine creatures, which have become scarce due to the decrease in their food source. Clownfish are typically found in coral reefs, seagrass meadows, and mangroves. However, researchers believe they have sought refuge in nurseries during the blooming period of phytoplankton.

This news article is also available in Russian.