A study on clownfish relating to marine protected areas

[annes]

Simon Thorrold had recently published the findings of a study concerning clownfish. After a couple weeks after they hatch, they move out to their own sea anemone to set up house there. Some go as far as 35 k out, while about 40% return close to home. They used DNA parentage analysis to figure out where the fish were going.

The importance of the study allows policy makers to have more information regarding the placement/size of marine protected areas (MPA). They call it the "goldilocks effect" - too small and too few will settle in the MPA to sustain the population; too large and they won't move out into commercial fishery areas and will stay mainly in the reserve.

News Release : You Don’t Call, You Don’t Write: Connectivity in Marine Fish Populations : Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution