July 28, 2025

Sojourner Whalen

11th Grade

Brooklyn Technical High School

Coral reefs, also known as “rainforests of the sea,” are currently in danger. Climate change, pollution, and overfishing are all extremely damaging to coral reefs. Coral reefs support roughly 25-40% of all marine life, making them crucial for the success and survival of marine life. Without healthy reefs, as many as 40% of marine life will have to deal with changes in their habitat, as well as possible extinction. However, scientists have begun to use music to save these dying reefs. Researchers have begun to suggest the possibility of using underwater speakers to save these beautiful reefs. 

Marine Biologists have started to install underwater speakers in degraded coral reefs and play recordings from healthy reefs. Researchers believe that playing sounds of a healthy reef encourages coral larvae to recolonize damaged or degraded reefs. According to ABC News, coral larvae settle up to seven times higher when the sounds of a healthy coral reef are played. Additionally, the Australian Institute of Marine Science deployed speakers in damaged reefs to see if the sounds would attract more marine life and help heal the reef. The results showed that when playing healthy reef sounds, there were twice as many species of fish and a 50% increase in marine species in affected areas. 

When you hear the word speaker, one’s first thought is typically music, whether it’s pop, jazz, rock, or rap; people associate speakers with music. However, these underwater speakers aren’t playing music; instead, they’re playing natural recordings from healthy reefs.  Healthy reefs are full of different noises. Typically, they include fish calls, snapping shrimp, and other low-frequency noises. Healthy reefs are an abundance of noise, in comparison to degraded reefs; degraded reefs tend to be extremely quiet, making it so fewer fish want to settle there. Scientists believe that by playing these healthy reef noises, it can simulate a healthy reef and ultimately trick species into settling there, overall reviving the reef. 

Coral Reefs have been showing positive results in response to the speakers in the reefs. More fish are likely to live in a reef that sounds like it’s thriving in comparison to a reef that is degrading, so by playing the noises of a thriving reef, it attracts different species of fish as well as coral larvae. These conditions over a greater period of time will allow the damaged reefs to recover and thrive once again. 

Although water speakers aren’t an immediate cure for all solutions, it is low-cost and non-invasive, meaning it’s not disrupting these damaged reefs any further. Even though it may not show positive results every single time, it has shown promise and is a good tool to enhance the restoration of these amazing reefs. When these speakers are combined with more, such as marine protection and a reduction of carbon, these underwater speakers allow damaged reefs to slowly rebuild themselves. As there continues to be more research, hopefully, we will be able to learn about what the most effective way to save the reefs is, but for now, underwater speakers are a great option.