Nemo Findings: How clownfish help resolve fundamental ecological questions

Fundamental questions in marine ecology have stumped scientists for decades: How do populations replenish themselves? How are they maintaining stable numbers? How far do fish larvae travel, and Where are they going?  Behavioral ecologists have long debated the nature of sequential hermaphroditism in fishes (changing sex at some point during life span). The future of our oceans, with global warming trends and ocean acidification, is alarming. Predicting the impact and outcomes of these trends is often a wild guess.

Remarkably, clownfishes have helped, and are still helping to shed light on all of these questions and concerns. This talk will highlight the many contributions to the field that little Nemo has brought to light.

Speaker: Giacomo Bernardi, UC Santa Cruz