Underwater speakers to save dying reefs

| Read time: 2 minute(s)
Coral reefs are fascinating, but because of pollution and degradation, they are vanishing. As pollution increases, fish stop coming to reefs, and this makes them die. Now scientists may play reef sounds underwater to attract fish to the dying reefs. This would revive them. Reefs become ghostly quiet when they are degraded, as shrimp and fish disappear, but they can be restored using loudspeakers which can recreate this lost soundscape and attract young fish back again. In an experiment, broadcasting healthy reef sound doubled the total number of fish arriving onto experimental patches of reef habitat, and also increased the number of species present by 50 per cent. Fun fact There are three types of reefs, and one often gets mistaken for an island. Barrier reefs, fringing reefs and atolls. An atoll is often called an island when it is really a reef.

Coral reefs are fascinating, but because of pollution and degradation, they are vanishing. As pollution increases, fish stop coming to reefs, and this makes them die. 

Now scientists may play reef sounds underwater to attract fish to the dying reefs. This would revive them.

Reefs become ghostly quiet when they are degraded, as shrimp and fish disappear, but they can be restored using loudspeakers which can recreate this lost soundscape and attract young fish back again.

In an experiment, broadcasting healthy reef sound doubled the total number of fish arriving onto experimental patches of reef habitat, and also increased the number of species present by 50 per cent.

Fun fact

There are three types of reefs, and one often gets mistaken for an island. Barrier reefs, fringing reefs and atolls. An atoll is often called an island when it is really a reef.

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