Townsville-based James Cook University researcher Phillip Munday and his team found clown fish, as well as damsel fish and open-water predators like tuna and spanish mackerel, suffered adverse effects under high acidity.
They said laboratory studies showed increased acid levels affected the main neuro-transmitters in fish brains, causing a malfunction in the sense of smell, hearing and perception of risk, and an increased tendency to stray from safe reef areas.
