Climate extremes make reef fish less diverse and productive  

Coral reef fish communities that are exposed to heat are much less diverse and abundant compared to fish in nearby reefs with less extreme temperatures. An international team of researchers led by NYU Abu Dhabi compared bottom-dwelling reef fish in the southern Arabian Gulf and the Sea of Oman. "The Arabian Gulf is the world's hottest sea each summer with temperatures well beyond those experienced by fishes elsewhere in the tropics, while the adjacent Sea of Oman is considerably more benign," said study senior author Professor …