Seawater DNA shows 126 fish species moving north around Japan

A nationwide environmental DNA study led by the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology found 126 fish species farther north than previously recorded around Japan. Researchers analysed 2,672 seawater samples from 316 coastal sites collected between 2017 and 2024. Published in Diversity and Distributions, the findings point to warming seas reshaping marine habitats and fishing communities.