Climate change has already caused significant impacts to Earth’s ecosystems. Shifts in plant and
animal biogeographic ranges, changes to population abundance, adjustments in the timing
of seasonal activities and the establishment of invasive species have all been attributed to
climate change. Most examples of biological impacts from climate change involve terrestrial species,
however, similar effects have been observed in marine species, especially from temperate regions. The impact of climate change on coral reefs has also been widely considered, mostly with
regard to coral bleaching and the degradation of coral communities. Much less attention has been
given to the impact that climate change will have on other organisms that are associated with coral
reefs. Fish are one of the most conspicuous and diverse components of tropical marine ecosystems,
yet how they will be affected by climate change has not been comprehensively assessed.This is Chapter 12 of Climate change and the Great Barrier Reef: a vulnerability assessment. The entire book can be found at http://hdl.handle.net/11017/13
