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NewsletterSkin cancer hits fish on Great Barrier Reef
It's the first tine that melanomas have been detected in fish in the area, though it's a well-known risk for humans.
Adelaidenow.com reports that researchers believe the most likely cause is ultra-violet radiation.
Researchers from Newcastle University in England have been studying coral trout from the reef, and found that around 15 per cent of the fish captured had dark lesions on the surface of the skin, consistent with melanomas, but were otherwise healthy.
Previous studies have shown UV radiation can have detrimental effects on marine and freshwater organisms and can penetrate at deep as 60 metres.
You can read the full article here.