Data for: Clark TD, Raby GD, Roche DG, Binning SA, Speers-Roesch B, Jutfelt F, Sundin J (2020) Ocean acidification does not impair the behaviour of coral reef fishes. Nature 577, 370–375. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1903-y
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Abstract: The partial pressure of
CO2 in the oceans has increased rapidly over the past century, driving ocean
acidification and raising concern for the stability of marine ecosystems1–3.
Coral reef fishes are predicted to be especially susceptible to end-of century
ocean acidification on the basis of several high-profile papers that have reported
profound behavioural and sensory impairments—for example, complete attraction
to the chemical cues of predators under conditions of ocean acidification. Here,
we comprehensively and transparently show that—in contrast to previous studies—end-of-century
ocean acidification levels have negligible effects on important behaviours of
coral reef fishes, such as the avoidance of chemical cues from predators, fish
activity levels and behavioural lateralization (left–right turning preference).
Using data simulations, we additionally show that the large effect sizes and
small within-group variances that have been reported in several previous
studies are highly improbable. Together, our findings indicate that the
reported effects of ocean acidification on the behaviour of coral reef fishes
are not reproducible, suggesting that behavioural perturbations will not be a
major consequence for coral reef fishes in high CO2 oceans.