The True Science Behind Finding Nemo - ABC

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The true science behind Finding Nemo

How much of the movie Finding Nemo was based on actual science?

Diver with fish (Source: ABC/)

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The Academy Award winning movie Finding Nemo took a tiny little animated fish and made him a superstar. As this 2004 report from ABC TV's Catalyst program revealed — the movie contained a lot more science than you might think!

Every summer, thousands of tropical fish are swept up by the powerful East Australian Current and transported from the Great Barrier Reef to Sydney Harbour and even further south. The current transports a staggering 30 million cubic metres of water southward each second at speeds of up to seven kilometres per hour. The current can be up to 100 kilometres wide and 1.5 kilometress deep.

The East Australian Current may also be getting stronger due to the effects of climate change. According to the most recent report from the IPCC's Working Group II, the current now carries its warm tropical water 350 kilometres futher south than it did 60 years ago.

In Sydney Harbour, tropical fish begin to appear around Christmas and can be found over the following few months. Unfortunately most of these accidental tourists are not destined for a happy Hollywood ending, not being equipped for the cooler water temperatures of winter.

This story is available on YouTube, via ABCScienceOnline

Tags: environment, conservation, endangered-and-protected-species, environmental-management, oceans-and-reefs, science-and-technology, marine-biology, great-barrier-reef

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Published 19 January 2015

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