Coral reefs support an extraordinary diversity of fish species, all of which face accelerating threats from bleaching, acidification, destructive fishing, and pollution. Their welfare is tied to reef health.
Reef fish welfare is inseparable from reef health. As corals bleach and die, the complex three-dimensional habitat that reef fish depend on for shelter, food, and reproduction is degraded or lost. Fish that survive in damaged reef sections face chronic food shortage, increased predation exposure, and reproductive failure. Bleaching events cause acute stress responses in fish that remain in warming waters. Destructive fishing practices including cyanide stunning and blast fishing cause direct pain and injury. The welfare implications of coral reef degradation extend to billions of individual fish across the tropical ocean. Arresting climate change is the most impactful intervention for reef fish welfare — but immediate action on local threats including destructive fishing and pollution can buy time.