New publication alert!
Redmap sightings have contributed to a new paper in the Journal of Global Change Biology exploring the physiological mechanisms underpinning tropicalization — the poleward range shifts of tropical species in response to ocean warming🌡️🐟

As tropical reef fishes move into temperate waters, questions remain about what enables some species to persist long-term, especially through their first temperate winter — a potential survival bottleneck ❄️

This paper led by Dr Adam Downie, co-authored by a Redmap scientist Dr Curtis Champion, synthesizes current knowledge and proposes a physiological framework to better understand and predict which tropical vagrants may establish and persist in new environments. The study emphasises the need to examine a suite of traits — from whole-animal to cellular and genetic markers — that may indicate cold tolerance and adaptive potential.

📍Eastern Australia is used as a case study — a hotspot for tropicalization — with over 100 tropical reef fish species shifting southward over recent decades.

This work highlights the importance of integrating citizen science data (like Redmap) with experimental physiology to improve ecological forecasting in a changing climate.

🙌 Thanks to our Redmap community — your observations help underpin research like this!

📄 Check out the paper here!

Keep logging your sightings via redmap.org.au or the iOS/Android app to support ongoing efforts to track species on the move!🐠