Skip to Main Content
Boston University
  • Bostonia
  • BU Today
  • The Brink
  • University Publications

    • Bostonia
    • BU Today
    • The Brink
  • School & College Publications

    • The Record
Other Publications
BU Today
  • Sections
News, Opinion, Community

Smells Like Home: For Fish, Reefs Are Unique

An NPR report on BU Marine Program’s newest find

January 17, 2007
Twitter Facebook
Jelle Atema, a CAS professor of biology, studied how reef fish use ocean smells.

There’s no place like home, at least to coral reef fish. Reef fish larvae that have been dragged from their birthplace by tides can find their way home by hitching a ride on ocean currents — sometimes for more than 100 miles — choosing the correct current based on its odor. That’s according to a new study by Jelle Atema, a College of Arts and Sciences professor of biology in the Boston University Marine Program, and colleagues studying fish populations in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, whose work appears in the January 2007 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. They placed cardinal fish larvae in the middle of two water streams, one of which was from their home reef. Almost all the larvae choose the stream that smelled like home. The findings may help in the management of coral reefs and could have important implications for marine environments in general.

Click here to listen to an interview with Atema on NPR’s All Things Considered, which aired on January 11.

 

Explore Related Topics:

  • Faculty
  • Global
  • Research
  • Share this story

Share

Smells Like Home: For Fish, Reefs Are Unique

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Reddit
  • LinkedIn
  • Email

Latest from BU Today

  • Health

    35 Ways to Build the Community You’re Craving

  • Food & Dining

    Boston Has New Late-Night Food Options—and They’re on Wheels

  • Theatre

    Commonwealth Shakespeare Company Stages As You Like It on the Boston Common This Summer

  • University News

    Adnan Hyder, Scholar Dedicated to Improving Health Policies for Low- and Medium-Income Nations, Named Dean of Boston University’s School of Public Health

  • Student Life

    BU Paris Students Deliver Hospitality Research to the Palace of Versailles

  • Watch Now

    The Stories Behind These Eye-Catching Sculptures at BU and Beyond

  • University News

    Elise Morgan Named BU College of Engineering Dean

  • Public Health

    Grilled Meats Can Be Carcinogenic. BU Health Researcher’s Tips on Preparing Them More Safely

  • Things-to-do

    See a Concert Under the Stars with the Longwood Symphony Orchestra, Featuring BU Faculty

  • Watch Now

    BU, but Make It Emoji

  • NATIONAL ICE CREAM DAY

    How to Celebrate National Ice Cream Day

  • Health & Medicine

    Why Is Everyone So Obsessed with Protein? BU Nutrition Expert Has Some Answers

  • Sports

    BU Table Tennis Player Headed to World Championships in Germany

  • Public Health

    Americans Are Buying More European Sunscreens. Are They Better Than Domestic Ones?

  • Film & TV

    Did You Win Starbucks Gift Cards in Our Superman Trivia Quiz?

  • Social Media

    A Viral Marriage Proposal Raises Privacy Questions in the Social Media Age

  • Things-to-do

    Our List of Outdoor Concerts to Enjoy This Summer

  • Arts & Culture

    This CFA Student Is Using Art to Help Medical Patients

  • Film & TV

    Why Do We Keep Watching Reality Dating Shows?

  • University News

    Boston University Announces Budget Cuts, Layoffs Amid Financial Pressures

Section navigation

  • Sections
  • Must Reads
  • Videos
  • Series
  • Close-ups
  • Archives
  • About + Contact
Get Our Email

Explore Our Publications

Bostonia

Boston University’s Alumni Magazine

BU Today

News, Opinion, Community

The Brink

Pioneering Research from Boston University

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
  • Instagram
  • Weibo
  • TikTok
© Boston University. All rights reserved. www.bu.edu
© 2025 Trustees of Boston UniversityPrivacy StatementAccessibility
Boston University
Notice of Non-Discrimination: Boston University prohibits discrimination and harassment on the basis of race, color, natural or protective hairstyle, religion, sex or gender, age, national origin, ethnicity, shared ancestry and ethnic characteristics, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, pregnancy or pregnancy-related condition, military service, marital, parental, veteran status, or any other legally protected status in any and all educational programs or activities operated by Boston University. Retaliation is also prohibited. Please refer questions or concerns about Title IX, discrimination based on any other status protected by law or BU policy, or retaliation to Boston University’s Executive Director of Equal Opportunity/Title IX Coordinator, at titleix@bu.edu or (617) 358-1796. Read Boston University’s full Notice of Nondiscrimination.
Search
Boston University Masterplate
Smells Like Home: For Fish, Reefs Are Unique
0
share this
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.