The collective sounds of a healthy coral reef provide environmental information that influences where young marine organisms settle.
Researchers recorded the acoustic environment of a functioning Hawaiian reef, including fish vocalisations and snapping crustaceans, then replayed those sounds around artificial reef structures. Field experiments found increased coral larval settlement near the speakers, particularly on structures incorporating living bacterial coatings. Related experiments attracted four to fourteen times more fish larvae to acoustically enriched structures than to silent controls. The findings demonstrate how a multispecies acoustic environment can influence habitat selection across different organisms.
https://phys.org/news/2026-10-healthy-reef-boost-coral-fish.html
