Do you take your young kids to a daycare or nursery? These are places where we expect our children to be, at minimum, safe and nurtured. Nurseries help ensure survival and growth to a well-adjusted adulthood. It turns out that many ocean-going fish use the same strategy for their young.
It has long been recognized that numerous offshore fish, including important recreational and commercial species like bluefish, flounders, snappers, and sharks, are dependent on shallow coastal bays, lagoons, and estuaries as juveniles. These shallow, protected waters offer habitats like seagrass beds, mangroves, or marshes that can shield young fish from predators and provide abundant food. Then, as fish eventually outgrow their shallow nursery habitats, they transition to offshore areas where they mix with the adult population.
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| Shallow fish nursery areas, like this mangrove habitat, provide food and protection for young fish. Photo: Brian Skerry. |
This is why it is so troubling to
