Coral reefs are fraught with danger for herbivores such as damselfish and tangs. Venturing out from the safety of the reef’s colorful cracks and crevices to feed means risking being devoured by predators that patrol the warm waters. As a result, the small fish tend to stay close to the reef when grazing.
Marine biologists have long recognized this cautious behavior, commonly documenting “halos” of bare sand stripped clean of seaweed around coral reefs. Now, using publicly available satellite images from Google Earth, researchers have for the first time observed these halos from space, providing insights into the size, frequency, and distribution of these underwater sand spots. They report their findings in the premiere issue of Nature Publishing Group’s new open access journal, Scientific Reports.
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