Coral reefs provide shelter and protection for nearly one quarter of ocean species, including crabs, moray eels, octopus and fish. But these cozy homes are currently under threat for many reasons, such as rising sea temperatures and ocean acidification.
Researchers are trying to understand how groups of fish communicate with each other within a coral reef, and how the health of the reef affects that communication.
This fall Jj Milan, a University of Washington doctoral student in the biology department, and UW research scientist Bob Oxborrow are traveling to the Marine Research and Higher Education Center on Magoodhoo, Maldives, to gather live footage of humbug damselfish interactions. This fish is a common schooling species on Maldivian reefs. UW News asked Milan a few questions about the trip for the occasional series “In the Field,” which highlights UW field research efforts.
Tell us about your project.
Jj Milan: I’m studying how fish in schools can accurately communicate the difference between a real threat and a harmless false alarm. And then, once a threat is gone, I want to understand how they coordinate the return to normal behavior.
What will you be doing on this trip?
JM: I’ll be using synchronized cameras and automated tracking to record how threat responses spread through a school. We will be scuba diving to place GoPro cameras and tablets around specific coral heads. We won’t be diving very deep because we need sufficient natural lighting for our video recordings. Our local contacts at the MaRHE Center have confirmed that the surrounding reef is shallow with abundant marine life.
I’m also hoping to collaborate with locals to get more insights into typical fish behavior and predator activity in this area.
What do you hope to learn?
JM: I hope to be able to reconstruct how threat responses move through a school of fish in real time, from the first fish that reacts to how the group settles back into normal behavior. I’ll also reconstruct the three-dimensional structure of the coral to understand if the complexity of the structure changes how quick and how coordinated that response is.
What’s something you really enjoy about doing this field work — especially something that might not occur to most people?
JM: I enjoy how this work brings together my love of ocean life, my diving hobby and my passion for research all in one. I have been diving since 2019 and I am excited because this will be my first time diving in warm water conditions.
More generally, is there anything you find surprising or enlightening about doing field work?
JM: I’m surprised at how many possibilities and opportunities for collaboration arise just during the planning process through connecting with other researchers and resources. I hope to build on these connections in the future.
For more information, contact Milan at jdmilan@uw.edu.