Study: Fish urine is essential for maintaining coastal ecosystems

New research suggests that to maintain Caribbean ecosystems, the waters require just the right amount of fish pee.

Researchers from the University of Washington and North Carolina State University figured out the ratios of chemicals and excretion the ecosystems need to survive. In a new study published in the journal Ecological Monographs, the scientists detail how a loss of fish biodiversity could impact larger ecosystems as a whole.

Without fish diversity, coral reef environments would be less healthy, Phys.org reports. And without a variety of fish species, the nutrient levels of entire ecosystems could be affected, harming seagrass beds and mangrove ecosystems. Previous research by the same scientists found that fish pee is a sort of fertilizer for coral, giving it the perfect levels of nitrogen and phosphorus.

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The scientists hope to rebuild coastal fisheries in the Caribbean and to further study the ecosystems in order to save their fish diversity. The researchers will also study salmon excretion's potential role in river ecosystems.