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Soundtrack of the sea: divers use underwater speakers to help dying coral reefs
TL;DR
Divers in Jamaica are using underwater speakers to help revive dying coral reefs. Led by artist Marco Barotti, this innovative approach aims to restore marine life through sound.
Key points
- Divers are using underwater speakers in Jamaica.
- The project aims to revive dying coral reefs.
- Marco Barotti, an artist, leads the initiative.
- Sound is believed to attract marine life to the reefs.
- The northern coast of Jamaica is the project location.
Mentioned in this story
JamaicaMarco Barotti
The northern coast of Jamaica once served as the backdrop for scenes in the James Bond thriller No Time to Die. But today, beneath those same turquoise waves, a real-life mission is unfolding: the race to pull a dying coral reef back from the brink.
However, the tools a team of divers are carrying to the seafloor are not what you would expect to find in a marine biologist’s kit. They are installing waterproof speakers at the bottom of the ocean, and the man leading the team is not a scientist.
“It’s very different from everything I did before,” says Marco Barotti, an artist from Italy.
Five years ago, Barotti began creating sculptures based on 3D scans of coral. He was inspired by emerging research suggesting that sound could be the key to reviving struggling reefs. “Sound has always been at the core of my work but never at this level,” he explains.
The soundtrack of the sea
To the human ear, the underwater world might seem pretty quiet, but a healthy reef is actually a cacophony of noise. It’s a biological symphony of snapping shrimp, grunting fish and shifting currents. A dying reef is eerily silent.
“If a reef is alive with sound it’s most likely to stay alive right? And repopulate. And when reefs degrade they grow silent,” Barotti says.
Fish and tiny coral organisms use sound to navigate in the vast oceans to find a home, so the logic is simple: if you bring the noise back, the marine life will follow. The project utilizes “underwater boomboxes” that play recorded sounds of a healthy reef for 14 hours a day, powered by solar panels floating on the surface.
The Great Barrier Reef study
A study published in the journal Nature demonstrated the power of what is known as “acoustic enrichment”. Researchers at the Great Barrier Reef found that playing healthy reef sounds lured fish to degraded areas, doubling the total fish population in just six weeks. Not only did more fish arrive, but the diversity of species increased by 50%, a critical factor for long-term reef resilience.
Reefs cover just 1% of the ocean floor but support 25% of all marine life. They are the bedrock of our food supply and serve as a natural barrier, protecting coastal property from the brunt of catastrophic storms. Since 1950, the world has lost approximately half of its coral reefs due to overfishing, pollution and the climate crisis.
Q&A
How are underwater speakers helping coral reefs in Jamaica?
Underwater speakers are being used to play sounds that may help revive struggling coral reefs by attracting marine life.
Who is leading the coral reef restoration project in Jamaica?
The project is led by Marco Barotti, an artist from Italy, who began this initiative five years ago.
What inspired Marco Barotti to use sound for coral restoration?
Barotti was inspired by research suggesting that sound could play a crucial role in reviving struggling coral reefs.
Where in Jamaica is the coral reef restoration project taking place?
The project is taking place along the northern coast of Jamaica, an area previously featured in the film No Time to Die.
