A reef that has been degraded – whether by coral bleaching, disease, or direct human impacts – can’t support the same diversity of species and has a much quieter, less rich soundscape.
Acoustic enrichment can be a key intervention to support imperiled reefs. Using an underwater speaker system, researchers found that broadcasting the soundscape of a healthy reef at a degraded reef caused coral larvae to settle at significantly higher rates.
High-res images are available for use
Woods Hole, Mass. (Oct. 2, 2024) – Researchers from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), along with partners, have received a grant totaling $1.5 million to advance innovative solutions that can protect the future of corals in the face of climate change and other environmental challenges.
WHOI’s Aran Mooney, associate scientist in the Biology Department, and Weifeng “Gordon” Zhang, associate scientist in the Department of Applied Ocean Physics and Engineering, will lead the project, along with partners from Oceans Forward Dominica and the Central Caribbean Marine Institute.
Coral reef ecosystems are critical for marine biodiversity and coastal protection, but their degradation poses a significant challenge for restoration efforts. Recent studies have shown that coral larvae are capable of responding to environmental cues, such as sound, to find suitable habitats for settlement. The funds received from the G20 Coral Research and Development Accelerator Platform (CORDAP) will be used to explore and optimize the use of acoustic enrichment to enhance coral larvae settlement across various coral species in the Dominican Republic, Cayman Islands, and the US Virgin Islands (USVI). This work is a continuation of WHOI research that showed coral larvae are capable of responding to sound to find suitable habitats for settlement.
“The Reef Acoustic Playback System (RAPS) was developed to play healthy reef soundscapes, providing a method to enrich the acoustic environment of degraded reefs,” explained project lead Mooney. “By using sound as a cue to attract coral larvae to these areas, RAPS aims to create a positive feedback loop that helps restore reef ecosystems.”
One key to the survival and recovery of coral populations is the successful settlement of coral larvae. However, many reefs face low settlement rates due to declining coral populations and the absence of natural cues that encourage larvae to settle. Traditional restoration methods, like outplanting, are time- and resource-intensive, making them difficult to scale effectively.
The CORDAP grant will help develop effective methods for applying this technique in real-world settings. The system will incorporate environmental data such as temperature, salinity, and currents from calibrated high-resolution hydrodynamic models to predict the locations that coral larvae may be transported to, allowing for the RAPS system to be deployed in the most efficient way to increase restoration success. With an improved understanding of the method, there will also be training of local stakeholders, divers, and eco-tourism operators in the application of acoustic enrichment techniques.
“Coral reefs provide habitat for 25% of marine life and support billions in tourism and fishing. They also serve as a natural barrier that protects coastlines from flooding and erosion during storm surges,” said WHOI’s Zhang. “By engaging community partners, we’ll be giving these vulnerable ecosystems a greater chance of survival.”
This project was one of eight selected from 120 proposals to receive funding from CORDAP’s Coral Accelerator Program (CAP). These projects, with a total investment of $10 million, span 18 countries and are set to make significant contributions to coral conservation and restoration.
WHOI’s Reef Solutions team is scheduled to return to the USVI in November 2024 to continue this work.
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About Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) is a private, non-profit organization on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, dedicated to marine research, engineering, and higher education. Established in 1930, its mission is to understand the ocean and its interactions with the Earth as a whole, and to communicate an understanding of the ocean’s role in the changing global environment. WHO Is pioneering discoveries stem from an ideal combination of science and engineering—one that has made it one of the most trusted and technically advanced leaders in fundamental and applied ocean research and exploration anywhere. WHOI is known for its multidisciplinary approach, superior ship operations, and unparalleled deep-sea robotics capabilities. We play a leading role in ocean observation and operate the most extensive suite of ocean data-gathering platforms in the world. Top scientists, engineers, and students collaborate on more than 800 concurrent projects worldwide—both above and below the waves—pushing the boundaries of knowledge to inform people and policies for a healthier planet. Learn more at whoi.edu.
About CORDAP
The Coral Research & Development Accelerator Platform – CORDAP – was launched in 2020 by the G20 to fast-track research and development (R&D) solutions to save the world’s corals. CORDAP brings together the best minds worldwide, in a transdisciplinary approach, to accelerate international research and development to supply the technologies and innovations required to secure a future for corals and reefs. cordap.org
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Credit: Dan Mele, ©Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Caption: A reef that has been degraded – whether by coral bleaching, disease, or direct human impacts – can’t support the same diversity of species and has a much quieter, less rich soundscape.
Credit: Dan Mele, ©Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Caption: Acoustic enrichment can be a key intervention to support imperiled reefs. Using an underwater speaker system, researchers found that broadcasting the soundscape of a healthy reef at a degraded reef caused coral larvae to settle at significantly higher rates.
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