Coral reefs are one of the worst-hit and also the most prominent examples of what climate change is capable of. In fact, one of Pokémon Franchise’s coral-based Pokémon Corsola was recently changed into a Ghost-type Pokémon as a reminder of the dying coral reefs.
However, it seems that there is some hope left. In a surprising turn of events, scientists studying the Great Barrier Reef in Australia encountered a happy occurrence. It was found that fishes were returning to the reefs and were settling in after they placed underwater speakers close to the dead coral reefs.
Compared to the non-speaker enhanced dead corals, twice as many fishes were attracted to the corals which had speakers placed near them for the purpose of this study.
Effects of acoustic enrichment on different trophic groups.
Now, you must be wondering which pop sensation were the fishes reacting to so positively. Well, it’s not the Queen B, nor is it any sort of medley from Finding Nemo. In fact, the recording played sounds from healthy, living coral reefs to imitate them and attract fishes. Isn’t that amazing?
The research team was led by experts from Exeter and Bristol Universities in the UK as well as James Cook University and the Australian Institute of Marine Sciences in Australia.
Prof. Steve Simpson explained that healthy, living corals are naturally very noisy. There is so much activity there that the noises of shrimps snapping and fish grunting is very common. New fishes are drawn to these familiar noises when they are looking for a settlement of their own. As opposed to living corals, ailing or dead coral reefs are deadly silent as there is no life thriving within them. Once the ecosystem has perished completely, it just becomes a ghost town with no noise.
Effect of acoustic enrichment on damselfish community development.
So, as an experiment, the researchers thought of giving some encouragement to juvenile fishes in the form of aural incentive. It was found that life returned to these dead reefs when sounds of healthy reefs were played near them. Not only was the number of fishes attracted by these acoustically enhanced dead corals twice as much as the natural counterparts, but the diversity in the fishes also increased by 50%.
Study site map, showing experimental reefs and coral-rubble point.
As promising as it all sounds, we need to realize that this is just the treatment of the symptoms of the problem. The real problem still persists at large and such ‘local’ solutions cannot battle the ever-pervasive impacts of the global climate crisis. Between the years 2015 and 2016, there was widespread death of the vibrant coral reefs in the Great Barrier Reef due to the rising ocean temperatures. Due to the increased heat, the algae that live in the corals in a symbiotic relationship are leached off and the reefs lose the main source of energy.
Water pollution, overfishing, and climate change are all major factors that still hang over the future of the beauty and diversity of our planet. Studies like these are just building blocks that can help us in saving these precious ecosystems and our world.
