Study Reveals Underwater Music Boosts Coral Larvae Settlement in St. John Reefs

The experiment, which used recordings from a healthier reef, demonstrated that acoustic environments could play a critical role in rebuilding degraded coral reefs in the U.S. Virgin Islands

Scientists from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts, following an exploratory trip to St. John, believe they may have a tool to fight coral die-off. In June and July of 2022, the team conducted an experiment in the coastal waters of St. John, where they collected coral larvae and distributed them at three reefs along the island’s southern coast: Tektite, Cocoloba, and Salt Pond. While Tektite is relatively healthy, the latter two are considered degraded. At Salt Pond, the researchers set up an underwater speaker system that played sounds from a healthy reef.

In the resulting research paper that was published earlier this year, the team’s findings were remarkable. The coral larvae deposited at Salt Pond had settled at much higher rates than at the other two sites devoid of music. “This gives us a new tool in the toolbox for potentially building a reef,” said lead researcher Aran Mooney.