Millions of people enjoyed “Finding Nemo,” the animated Disney
film that premiered in 2003, and can still recall the plot: A
timid clownfish embarks on an adventurous search for his son,
Nemo, who was captured by scuba divers and taken to Australia’s
Sydney Harbor. But what many may not be aware of is that the
real-life Nemos of the world, along with other small fish that
are equally dependent on healthy reef systems, are in serious
trouble because of climate change. The Center for Biological
Diversity on Monday filed a petition with the National Marine
Fisheries Service to place orange clownfish–more commonly known
to children as Nemo fish–and seven other reef fish species under
protection of the Endangered Species Act. “We risk losing the
striking fish that inspired ‘Finding Nemo’ forever if we don’t
put the brakes on global warming and ocean acidification,” Shaye
Wolf, the Center’s climate science director, stated in a news
release. “Carbon pollution harms these fish and destroys their
coral reef homes. If