It sounds like the first line of an ocean pun: How is a fish like a tree? Actually, the two disparate species may have more in common than you think. Similar to the way a tree shows its age by the number of rings in its trunk, you can tell the age of a fish by counting the rings in its scales. Corals, too, share this trait. And these three life forms all show similar responses to climate change.
In a study by the University of Western Australia and the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), two species of fish, one of coral, and one variety of tree were observed. All four of these very different organisms were found to exhibit similar growth patterns. During periods of an El Nino weather pattern, the growth rates would slow, while growth would increase during La Nina. During periods of El Nino, there is a drop or shift in the normal trade wind pattern, which allows the warmer waters of the western Pacific to flow eastward. During La Nina, the easterly winds grow stronger, dropping the sea surface temperatures along the equator.
The researchers behind the project say this is the first time there has been hard evidence to demonstrate that both marine and land based species alike have the same reaction to climatic changes.
While La Nina weather generally means more growth for the plant and animals species in the study, it’s not all good news. During times of extreme temperature change, like those expected for the 2016 La Nina forecast, the extreme temperatures can lead to coral bleaching and more widespread fish kills. With more erratic El Nino and La Nina weather patterns expected in the coming years, scientists plan to continue carefully monitoring their subjects to see how they cope.