Scientists have returned 18 red handfish to Tasmanian waters months after they were removed to protect them from record high sea temperatures. Marine ecologist Dr Jemina Stuart-Smith said removing the fish had been a difficult decision but was the ‘right approach’ despite the risks. Three of the fish died in captivity. Dr Andrew Trotter, who leads the red handfish conservation project at the University of Tasmania’s Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, said the three deaths were disappointing but highlighted the need to better understand disease in the critically endangered species. There are fewer than 100 red handfish estimated to be left in the wild in two patches of rocky reef south-east of Hobart

Source: The Guardian May 07, 2024 15:41 UTC