The tiny larvae of marine species such as the orange clownfish use their sense of smell to help find suitable adult habitat. Scientists from James Cook University have found that ocean acidification will impair this sense of smell, which could affect the ability of larvae to find the best habitat to live in.
Photo courtesy of Dr Simon Foale, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies

Clownfish eggs are tended by the male until they hatch. After hatching the tiny larvae spend 11 days in open water before they settle into adult habitat on the reef.
Photo courtesy of Gerry Allen

Clownfish larvae use the smell of tree leaves to find their way back to reef around vegetated islands. Ocean acidification will disrupt the ability of the larvae to distinguish between the smell of leaves that could lead them back to island reefs and other smells that could lead them to locations without reefs.
Photo courtesy of Dr Simon Foale, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies

Free copyright is granted for use of these images in conjunction with ARC Centre of Excellence news stories