Listen to the Sounds of This Restored Coral Reef

If you listen close enough, you might be able to hear the ‘whooping, croaking, and growling’ that scientists say show a healthy, restored reef ecosystem.

In 2013, locals and scientists began using ‘reef stars’ to try and restore ruined reefs in Indonesia to their former health. The reef stars are hexagonal metal frames that are seeded with coral, both securing rubble on the ocean floor and sparking rapid coral development. Now thousands of square meters of coral have revived the ecosystem, and you can hear the difference, according to a study led by researchers from the University of Exeter and the University of Bristol in England.

‘Restoration projects can be successful at growing coral, but that’s only part of the ecosystem,’ said Tim Lamont of the University of Exeter and the Mars Coral Reef Restoration Project, a program attempting to restore coral reefs in central Indonesia. ‘This study provides exciting evidence that restoration really works for the other reef creatures too — by listening to the reefs, we’ve documented the return of a diverse range of animals.’