A Japanese nuclear power plant created a habitat for tropical fish

A Japanese nuclear power plant created a habitat for tropical fish

Source: new scientist

5/6/2020

Credit: Reiji Masuda/Kyoto University

Tropical fish and other species were able to colonise a small coastal area in the Sea of Japan thanks to discharges from a nearby nuclear power plant. The findings suggest global warming will drastically alter marine ecosystems around the temperate areas of Japan over the next few decades.

Since 2004, Reiji Masuda at Kyoto University and his colleagues have been carrying out underwater surveys every winter at three coastal sites near Kyoto. One of these sites is warmed by the water used to cool the Takahama nuclear power plant, keeping winter water temperatures around 13.6°C.

There, the divers saw both more fish overall and a greater diversity of species, including tropical ones such as the blue damselfish (Pomacentrus coelestis) and the cutribbon wrasse (Stethojulis interrupta). Tropical invertebrates included the long-spined sea urchin (a species of Diadema).

“There were so many sea urchins as they did not have predators,” says Masuda.

These tropical species weren’t seen at the other two sites, even though winter temperatures there were only slightly lower, at 12.3°C and 11.7°C.

Continue...

News Id		Source	Stamp	country
4776	Long-lived Deep-sea Fishes Imperiled by Technology, Overfishing; 'We Shouldn't Eat Grandmother'	Underwatertimes	2007-02-18	US
4777	Farmed Salmon Could Become an Invasive Species in Forest Streams	Underwatertimes	2007-03-08	US
4778	Thames 'clean enough' for salmon	bbc news	2007-03-26	UK
4779	Study: Fish 'Catch Shares' Scheme Reduces By-catch, Increases Per-Boat Revenue, Boosts Safety	Underwatertimes	2007-03-28	US
4780	Chesapeake Bay receives another D+ on health report, due largely to struggling rockfish population	baltimore sun	2021-01-05	US
4781	Royal Navy sends four warships into English Channel	daily mail	2021-01-02	UK
4782	Massive operation nets fleet of illegal fishers	the age	2006-04-06	AU
4783	Gender-changing fish are studied	United Press International	2006-04-11	US
4784	Scientists Try to Count Fish in Sea	Washington Post	2006-04-10	US
4785	30 New Fish Species Discovered On Borneo; 'The More We Look the More We Find'	Underwatertimes	2006-12-19	SW
4786	Climate Change has Surprising Effect on Endangered Naked Carp; 'Metabolic Holiday'	Underwatertimes	2006-12-19	US
4787	Snakeheads Appear at Home in the Potomac	washington post	2006-10-02	US
4788	Farming endangered blue-fin tuna	bbc news	2006-12-27	JP
4789	World First as Endangered Fish Population Recovers; Shortnose Sturgeon Numbers Up 400%	Underwatertimes	2007-02-06	US
4790	Chips plan to keep an eye on fish	bbc news	2006-10-16	CA
4791	Scientists: First Documented Spawning of White Fish in the Detroit River Since 1900s	underwatertimes	2006-10-17	US
4792	Study: Critical Nutrients in Ecosystems Change when Fish Become Extinct	underwatertimes	2007-03-27	CA
4793	'No debate' that fish farms kill wild salmon, says B.C. scientist	CBC News	2006-10-20	CA
4794	A Swarm of Biologically-inspired Little Underwater Explorers	harvard	2021-01-15	US
4795	Scientists discover electric eels hunting in a group	Smithsonian	2021-01-14	BZ
4796	Robot fish equipped with tiny cameras could change ocean rescues	ctvnews	2021-01-13	CA
4797	The B.C. fish you've likely never heard of that's confounding trawlers and officials	CBC News	2021-01-03	US
4798	Thai Fishermen Break Ranks, Vow to Resume Hunt of Endangered Mekong Catfish; 'We Need to Make A Living'	underwatertimes	2006-03-04	TH
4799	Despite rescue effort, Maine salmon may be facing extinction	underwatertimes	2006-01-31	CA
4800	One fish, two fish: New sensor improves fish counts	underwatertimes	2006-02-02	US

191 of [220 - pages.]