Soundscape analysis reveals fine ecological differences among coral reef habitats
Recording soundscapes in coral reef ecosystems provides an efficient, non-invasive method for ecosystem monitoring and conservation. This study assesses the ecological relevance of coral reef soundscapes, validating their utility for conservation decision-making. Using the Soundscape Code—a method t...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Ecological Indicators |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X25000494 |
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| author | Juan Carlos Azofeifa-Solano Miles J.G. Parsons Rohan Brooker Robert McCauley Daniel Pygas William Feeney Steve Simpson Sophie L. Nedelec Eve M. Croxford Mark Meekan Christine Erbe |
| author_facet | Juan Carlos Azofeifa-Solano Miles J.G. Parsons Rohan Brooker Robert McCauley Daniel Pygas William Feeney Steve Simpson Sophie L. Nedelec Eve M. Croxford Mark Meekan Christine Erbe |
| author_sort | Juan Carlos Azofeifa-Solano |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Recording soundscapes in coral reef ecosystems provides an efficient, non-invasive method for ecosystem monitoring and conservation. This study assesses the ecological relevance of coral reef soundscapes, validating their utility for conservation decision-making. Using the Soundscape Code—a method that summarizes soundscape amplitude, impulsiveness, periodicity, and uniformity—we analyzed habitat differentiation across 25 simultaneous recordings from back, flat, and fore reef zones. Benthic composition analysis identified two distinct healthy habitat types: one dominated by branching corals and another without a dominant coral growth form. Acoustic analysis revealed these habitats also had unique nighttime soundscapes, driven by amplitude (loudness) and uniformity (sound diversity) differences linked to fish and invertebrate activity. This alignment between benthic structure and nocturnal soundscape patterns suggests that reef soundscapes reflect both benthic composition and the associated biological communities, including cryptic invertebrates and nocturnal fish. Our findings underscore the potential of nighttime soundscapes and the Soundscape Code as valuable tools for coral reef monitoring and management, with practical applications for ecosystem assessment and restoration planning. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-79640258ddad4df391332b59805d6b1d |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1470-160X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecological Indicators |
| spelling | doaj-art-79640258ddad4df391332b59805d6b1d2025-01-24T04:44:48ZengElsevierEcological Indicators1470-160X2025-02-01171113120Soundscape analysis reveals fine ecological differences among coral reef habitatsJuan Carlos Azofeifa-Solano0Miles J.G. Parsons1Rohan Brooker2Robert McCauley3Daniel Pygas4William Feeney5Steve Simpson6Sophie L. Nedelec7Eve M. Croxford8Mark Meekan9Christine Erbe10Centre for Marine Science and Technology, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia; Australian Institute of Marine Science, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia; Corresponding author at: Centre for Marine Science and Technology, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia.Australian Institute of Marine Science, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, AustraliaAustralian Institute of Marine Science, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, AustraliaCentre for Marine Science and Technology, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, AustraliaAustralian Institute of Marine Science, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, AustraliaDoñana Biological Station (CSIC), Seville 41092, SpainSchool of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1QU, United KingdomBiosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX4 4QD, United KingdomSchool of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1QU, United KingdomOceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, AustraliaCentre for Marine Science and Technology, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, AustraliaRecording soundscapes in coral reef ecosystems provides an efficient, non-invasive method for ecosystem monitoring and conservation. This study assesses the ecological relevance of coral reef soundscapes, validating their utility for conservation decision-making. Using the Soundscape Code—a method that summarizes soundscape amplitude, impulsiveness, periodicity, and uniformity—we analyzed habitat differentiation across 25 simultaneous recordings from back, flat, and fore reef zones. Benthic composition analysis identified two distinct healthy habitat types: one dominated by branching corals and another without a dominant coral growth form. Acoustic analysis revealed these habitats also had unique nighttime soundscapes, driven by amplitude (loudness) and uniformity (sound diversity) differences linked to fish and invertebrate activity. This alignment between benthic structure and nocturnal soundscape patterns suggests that reef soundscapes reflect both benthic composition and the associated biological communities, including cryptic invertebrates and nocturnal fish. Our findings underscore the potential of nighttime soundscapes and the Soundscape Code as valuable tools for coral reef monitoring and management, with practical applications for ecosystem assessment and restoration planning.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X25000494ConservationEcoacousticsEcosystem MonitoringEssential Ocean VariableOcean SoundPassive Acoustic Monitoring |
| spellingShingle | Juan Carlos Azofeifa-Solano Miles J.G. Parsons Rohan Brooker Robert McCauley Daniel Pygas William Feeney Steve Simpson Sophie L. Nedelec Eve M. Croxford Mark Meekan Christine Erbe Soundscape analysis reveals fine ecological differences among coral reef habitats Ecological Indicators Conservation Ecoacoustics Ecosystem Monitoring Essential Ocean Variable Ocean Sound Passive Acoustic Monitoring |
| title | Soundscape analysis reveals fine ecological differences among coral reef habitats |
| title_full | Soundscape analysis reveals fine ecological differences among coral reef habitats |
| title_fullStr | Soundscape analysis reveals fine ecological differences among coral reef habitats |
| title_full_unstemmed | Soundscape analysis reveals fine ecological differences among coral reef habitats |
| title_short | Soundscape analysis reveals fine ecological differences among coral reef habitats |
| title_sort | soundscape analysis reveals fine ecological differences among coral reef habitats |
| topic | Conservation Ecoacoustics Ecosystem Monitoring Essential Ocean Variable Ocean Sound Passive Acoustic Monitoring |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X25000494 |
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