Ah, the hustle and bustle of the city…under the sea!
This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.
Coral reefs aren’t just colorful. They are also LOUD! A healthy reef reverberates with munching fish and scuttling shrimp. But when reefs are damaged? Silence!
Like hipsters flocking to downtown streets, young fish seeking new homes want a bustling, vibrant neighborhood. Silent reefs? Definitely UN-cool. SO how do you lure young fish back?
Meet Timothy Gordon at the University of Exeter. Gordon played recordings of healthy reef sounds in damaged ones – a technique called acoustic enrichment. Did the fish come back?
YES! Fish LOVED the sounds of the healthy coral reef! Acoustically enriched reefs had double the population and FIFTY PERCENT more species than silent ones!
Coral reefs provide food and protection for coastal regions. Acoustic enrichment is a new tool to bring life to damaged reefs, speed up their recovery and build healthier oceans.
Remember, the first rule of real estate: location, location — ECHO-location!