The diverse language of each species can be heard at the recently restored coral reef in Indonesia much to the joy of marine biologists.
The recording was captured three years after the massive project to rebuild a 10-acre coral reef plot and it unearthed the oceanic equivalent of a city buzz. These noises proved that their project was a success but, the variety of different soundscapes was far bigger than expected.
The reef was initially destroy4ed by dynamite fishing off the Spermonde Archipelago in central Indonesia. The Mars Coral Reef Restoration bent steel bars into hexagonal shapes known as “reef stars” which help the growth of millions of miniature animals called polyps.
These hexagonal Reef Stars helped to stabilise rocks and rubble to increase the growth of coral but researchers were sceptical whether it would help revive the entire reef ecosystem.
In the video below you can clearly see how using 20,000 stabilising reef stars to support rubble and planting more than 300,000 corals revived the whole area in just three years.
Bristol Professor Steve Simpson said, “Some of the sounds we recorded are really bizarre and new to us as scientists, it’s amazing to be able to hear the ecosystem come back to life.”
Dr Tim Lamont, lead author said, “This study provides exciting evidence that restoration really works for the other reef creatures too, by listening to the reefs, we’ve documented the return of a diverse range of animals.”
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