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Fish Changes Colors When Detecting Pollution

Posted by timothy on from the changing-colors-while-nude dept.

Ant writes: "Say goodbye to Birkenstock sandals and woolly jumpers -- tomorrow's eco-warrior will like nothing better than swimming naked in defense of cleaner oceans. That, at least, is the hope of researchers in Singapore, who are developing a breed of fish capable of detecting water pollutants by changing color."

2 of 34 comments (clear)

  1. what if they get loose? by josepha48 · · Score: 1, Insightful
    What happens if these fish escape in the wild and change the ecological balance in the ocean? Suddenly because of their unique phisiology they have an advantage over other fish. Or other fish realize that these fish change color in poluted water and leave the area? Then you have fish that were in an area leave. It could be worse. I think that this genitic manipulation of fish shoudl stop. Will theswe fish be able to breed? Some fancy varieties of Goldfish currently cannot because they have been so inbreed and so selectively breed that they can no longer breed and if they tried they would probably die in the process. Yes this is truth. I am a fish breeder and keeper, and if you do your research you will find that certain fancy goldfish are man made mutants that can barely survive. There are also species of swordtails and mollies that fit in this category as well as the infamous 'parrott' fish, which is a hybred that is often injected with dye to give it its color.

    Why not make humans change the color of their skin when they are aground polutants? What are we afraid of?? Having blue people?

    --

    Only 'flamers' flame!

  2. Superb Idea, as long as... by Ieshan · · Score: 3, Insightful

    If you ask me, this is a superb idea, as long as the fish can survive in the waters you release them.

    Basically, this isn't harming anyone or anything. The fish have been manipulated once, and have very little advantage over other fish in the water. In fact, they probably have no advantage, being that they aren't conscious enough to realize that they're changing color in a certain amount of pollutant.

    However, if we're releasing fish into waters they'll surely die just to see, visually, on their new color coded scales, that they'll die... I think that's wrong.

    I disagree with the dude who said he was a fish breeder and that he doesn't understand how we evil humans can be altering nature to better suit us. He goes so far as to suggest genetic experiments on humans. Counterpoint: This is an operation useful to human society AND ecological wellbeing, as once the fish in the water can show us where the water is polluted, they can also show us where we need to direct cleaning and research.

    Genetic Engineering is one of the most useful and dangerous sciences of our times. Everything with a purpose is dangerous - we just need to be careful.