Coral Reefs Generate a Hidden Sound Underwater, And It Could Help Us to Save Them

PETER DOCKRILL
30 MAY 2022

We tend to associate healthy coral reefs with their visual splendor: the vibrant array of colors and shapes that populate these beautiful underwater ecosystems.

But they can also be rather noisy places. If you've ever been snorkeling in a coral reef environment, you'll know the distinctive clicking and popping sounds made by various marine creatures under the water, such as snapping shrimp and feeding fish.

That buzzy din of background noise – almost like the chattering hiss of radio static – is such a unique feature of the coral reef soundscape, it could help us to monitor the health of these endangered marine habitats.

In a new study, scientists used machine learning to train an algorithm to recognize the subtle acoustic differences between a healthy, vibrant reef and a degraded coral site – an acoustic contrast so faint it may be impossible for people to discern.

More:
https://www.sciencealert.com/coral-reefs-generate-a-hidden-sound-underwater-and-it-could-help-us-to-save-them