environment
Soundtrack of the sea: divers use underwater speakers to help dying coral reefs
Divers are installing waterproof speakers in the ocean to help pull a coral reef near Jamaica back from the brink
TL;DR
- An artist, Marco Barotti, is using waterproof speakers to play recorded sounds of healthy coral reefs in an effort to revive a dying reef near Jamaica.
- The project is based on research suggesting that sound can attract marine life to degraded reef areas, as a healthy reef is characterized by a symphony of natural sounds while a dying reef is silent.
- A study on the Great Barrier Reef demonstrated that playing healthy reef sounds doubled the fish population and increased species diversity by 50% in degraded areas within six weeks.
- Coral reefs, which support 25% of all marine life, have declined by approximately half since 1950 due to overfishing, pollution, and the climate crisis.
- The initiative is part of a broader conservation effort that includes lab-based coral fragment growth and assisted reproduction to help coral species reproduce in a warming world.
- The project aims to fuse art and science, using underwater sculptures as a base for lab-grown coral fragments, and replacing silence with the sounds of a thriving ecosystem.