Underwater speakers that broadcast the hustle and bustle of thriving corals could bring life back to increasingly damaged and degraded coral reefs that are at risk of becoming ocean graveyards, researchers say.
Scientists who conducted research off the coast of the U.S. Virgin Islands in the Caribbean discovered that coral larvae play a predicament that plays recordings of crackles, groans, grunts, and scratches that form the symphony of a healthy ecosystem. found that they were up to seven times more likely to colonize coral reefs.
“We’re hopeful that this might be combined with other efforts to restore good things to coral reefs,” said Nadège Aoki of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts. “Leaving the speakers out for a period of time can attract fish as well as coral larvae to the reef.”
The world has lost half of its coral reefs since the 1950s due to the devastating effects of global warming, overfishing, pollution, habitat loss, and the spread of disease. The significant decline has prompted efforts to protect remaining coral reefs through a variety of approaches, from replanting nursery-grown corals to developing resilient corals that can withstand warming ocean waters. It’s becoming more active.
Aoki et al. took another approach, building on previous research that showed that: Coral larva swims towards the sounds of the reef. They installed underwater speakers on three coral reefs off the coast of St. John, the smallest island in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and found that coral larvae, placed in airtight containers filled with filtered seawater, were exposed to the rock-like ceramics inside the containers. The number of individuals that settled on the debris was measured. 30 meters from the speaker.
The researchers installed speakers at all three locations, but one location only played sounds from a thriving coral reef. For three nights, we were immersed in the soundscape of the ocean on a degraded salt pond reef. Two of his other sites, a degraded Kokoroba and a healthier tektite reef, were also included for comparison.
When coral larvae are released into the water column, they swim freely with the current and find a place to settle. When they fall to the ocean floor, they become fixed in place, and if they survive, they become adults.
write to Royal Society Open Science In the same journal, the researchers describe how, on average, 1.7 times more coral larvae settled on salt pond reefs compared to other locations where reef sounds were not played. The settlement rate at Salt Pond decreased with distance from the speaker, suggesting that the broadcaster was to blame.
While the results are promising, Aoki said further research is underway to understand whether other coral species respond to reef sounds in the same way, and whether the corals thrive after colonization. . “The application of this technology needs to be carefully considered,” she said. “You don’t want to encourage them to settle where they will die. We need a multi-pronged effort with steps to ensure the survival and long-term growth of these corals.”
Professor Steve Simpson, a marine biologist at the University of Bristol, was also involved in the study that discovered that coral larvae respond to reef sounds, and has been using audio recordings to attract fish larvae to reefs for 20 years. Ta. He said the study was “exciting” and demonstrated how acoustic reproduction can promote colonization of coral reef habitats.
“It is a race against time to secure the future of coral reefs while we begin to reverse climate change towards net zero,” Mr Simpson said. “Coral reefs are the first marine ecosystems we can lose to climate change, which means they are also the first marine ecosystems we can save. If we can save coral reefs. , anything can be saved.”
