Soundscapes of coral reef ecosystems can recover quickly from severe weather events such as hurricanes, according to a new study.
The study also demonstrates that non-invasive monitoring is an important tool in shedding further light on these key ecosystems.
Soundscape ecology is a relatively new way for researchers to keep tabs on a variety of habitats without direct interference. In underwater habitats like coral reefs, soundscapes allow continual monitoring of an ecosystem that is difficult to access.
Deploying underwater microphones, or hydrophones, can give researchers an acoustic picture of the types of animals in the ecosystem, as well as their behavior patterns.