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Think “finding Nemo” on your next dive at the Great Barrier Reef will be a breeze? Think again. A new study has revealed that low numbers of anemones and anemonefish (clownfish) are found on Australia’s famous reef. Although there are no data from previous years with which to compare the findings, the study highlights the fragility of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and the importance of conservation in the region.

The study’s author, Dr Anna Scott, who works for Southern Cross University’s National Marine Science Centre, surveyed seven reefs between the Queensland cities of Gladstone (southern portion of the GBR) and Townsville (northern portion) in October 2013.

Clownfish and sea anemones have a symbiotic, mutualistic relationship, where the anemone protects the clownfish from predators, and the nitrogen excreted from the clownfish increases the amount of algae incorporated into the anemone’s tissue, aiding in tissue growth and regeneration.

Dr Scott is concerned that a changing climate is responsible for causing the relationship between the anemone and the algae to break down, which results in bleaching, much like what can occur in corals exposed to warming seas. “If the stress is very severe, the anemone might actually die,” she says.

The researcher hopes to see more surveys in future, so that we can get a better understanding of the species’ abundance and population dynamics.

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