Tuesday June 3, 2025
NPR —
Animals are changing their behaviors and bodies in response to man-made climate change.
In recent years, some birds have exhibited larger beaks that help them dispel excess body heat. Animals that migrate when the seasons change have been observed to seek higher latitudes.
Now, scientists have found that the clownfish, the saltwater fish featured in the hit Disney film Finding Nemo, has been observed temporarily shrinking in response to heat stress.
Melissa Versteeg, a Ph.D. student in marine science at Newcastle University and co-author of a paper recently published in the journal Science Advances, told Morning Edition that she “had a bit of a panic” when she noticed the shrinking.