Underwater loudspeakers could help boost coral reef recovery

Scientists from Australian universities conducted an experiment on the Great Barrier Reef by playing recorded sounds of healthy reefs for 40 days. Healthy reefs are naturally noisy due to marine life, but degraded reefs become quiet, causing fish to leave. The experiment showed a 50% increase in juvenile fish in damaged reefs, suggesting that sound can aid in reef recovery by encouraging fish to stay and help restore the ecosystem.

What was the primary method used by scientists to study coral reefs in the experiment?

• Adding artificial coral structures

• Changing the water temperature

• Introducing new fish species to the reefs

• Recording and playing sounds of healthy reefs

Why do healthy coral reefs tend to be noisy?

• Due to human activities nearby

• Because of the sound of waves crashing

• Because of the noise created by shrimp and fish

• Due to the presence of large predators

What happens to fish populations when coral reefs become degraded?

• Fish populations increase

• Fish become more aggressive

• Fish populations remain stable

• Fish leave to find new homes

What was the observed effect on juvenile fish populations at the end of the experiment?

• A 50% increase in juvenile fish

• Juvenile fish migrated to other reefs

• No change in juvenile fish numbers

• A decrease in juvenile fish

How might the increase in fish populations help damaged coral reefs?

• By kickstarting the natural recovery process

• By providing more food for predators

• By attracting more tourists

• By increasing water temperature