Hawai‘i reef sounds lured 4 to 14 times more baby fish, study finds

A team of scientists has found that playing the sounds of a healthy coral reef underwater can attract substantially more young fish to a reef site. In a study published in Scientific Reports, researchers used an underwater speaker in Kāne‘ohe Bay, O‘ahu, to broadcast recordings made at a healthy reef. Cameras then monitored the treated and control sites. The researchers found that larval fish numbers increased around the new moon at both locations, but the site receiving the reef recordings attracted four to 14 times more larvae. The findings suggest that recreating natural reef sounds could potentially become another tool for supporting reef restoration.Why reef sounds matterCoral reefs are naturally noisy environments. Fish, snapping shrimp and other marine organisms create a complex underwater soundscape that can vary according to the activity and condition of a reef.