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Fish Chatter

June 6, 2018

To our ears coral reefs may seem relatively quiet, but fish there make a variety of sounds that are often described by scientists as grunts, pops, chirps, hoots and more. A healthy reef ecosystem is home to many sound-producing animals—such as these fish—that produce a wide range of sounds. The unique soundscape of a healthy reef may provide a cue that attracts free-swimming larvae back to the reef, reinforcing its long-term vitality. The NSF-funded Coral Chorus project in the U.S. Virgin Islands run by WHOI biologists Aran Mooney, Amy Apprill, and Joel Llopiz aims to understand the role that underwater sounds play in the overall health of the reefs. (Photo by Paul Caiger, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)