Yellowtail blue damselfish (Chrysiptera parasema) response to climate change: Impact of temperature on behavior

Caldwell, Rebecca

Yellowtail blue damselfish (Chrysiptera parasema) response to climate change: Impact of temperature on behavior

Persistent URL

https://hdl.handle.net/10456/57640

Author(s)

Caldwell, Rebecca

Date Issued

March 22, 2024

Abstract

Rising ocean temperatures are a major indicator of climate change. Changes in ocean temperature can alter marine ecosystems, such as coral reefs, and the organisms that depend on them. Reef fish such as Chrysiptera parasema (yellowtail-blue damselfish) can act as an indicator species for reef health. Understanding how yellowtail damselfish respond to an increase in water temperature is key to examining how climate change can affect marine ecosystems. The purpose of this study was to test yellowtail damselfish aggressiveness in response to an increase in temperature. This study draws on the methods of da Silva Pinto et al. (2020). 7-8 yellowtail damselfish were divided into groups of 2-3 among three tanks. These tanks were subject to temperature change (22℃-26℃) to determine how the fish’s behavior changed throughout the experimental process. Temperature was not found to be a significant factor in yellowtail behavior (p<0.66). However, we did find significance in the type of behavior as temperature increases (p<0.026) as well as a difference between behavior totals (p<0.018). Our analysis emphasizes the importance of studying these interspecies interactions to understand reef fish survivability, thermal tolerance, and ecosystem importance.

Major

Environmental Science and Sustainability

Honors

Environmental Science and Sustainability, 2024

First Reader(s)

Bradshaw-Wilson, Casey R.