Work

Unique soundscapes reflect the diversity of habitats in a tropical seascape

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Underwater soundscapes can provide sensory cues that influence the habitat-use of aquatic organisms, spanning all life-stages from settlement of larval fish to migration and foraging of adults. A growing body of research has examined soundscapes in the context of fish settlement on coral reefs, while other common habitats such as macroalgal meadows remain largely unexplored. We found that Sargassum macroalgal meadows within the Ningaloo World Heritage Area of Western Australia possessed a distinct soundscape from adjacent coral reef and sand habitats. Acoustic recordings from 12 sites revealed discrete soundscapes driven by varying levels of snapping shrimps, urchins, and soniferous fishes, with increased biological activity and sound variability observed during dawn and dusk. Using parallel ecological measurements, we also found that macroalgal habitat quality, particularly canopy density and levels of understory cover, explained variations in soundscape characteristics. By linking soundscape attributes to habitat structure, this research highlights how the unique acoustic properties of macroalgal meadows could serve as important cues for larval fishes to select nursery habitats of varying quality during settlement.

Source: Ecological Indicators

DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2025.114120

Authors: Clelia Mulà, Rohan M. Brooker, Christopher J. Fulton, Miles J.G. Parsons, Shaun K. Wilson, Juan Carlos Azofeifa-Solano

Institutions: Australian Institute of Marine Science, The University of Western Australia, Oceans Institute, Curtin University

Language: English

Topic: Marine animal studies overview

Subfield: Ecology

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Life below water

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,650