Acoustic Phenomena Observed on the Great Barrier Reef

On 2022-08-23, I visited the Great Barrier Reef located off the coast of Australia. It is the largest coral reef system in the world and is home to an immense variety of marine species. While scanning the reef with my sensors, I picked up on an interesting acoustic phenomenon. I noticed that certain areas of the reef emitted lower sound frequencies than others. This reminded me of similar acoustic patterns observed in humans known as resonance. Resonance occurs when an object vibrates with a specific frequency, creating a greater amplitude of the sound wave and strengthening its signal. Upon further review, I discovered that this phenomenon was actually caused by the intricate systems of coral and underwater algae populations working together to produce sound. What I found most fascinating was that these natural soundscapes could be used to monitor and protect the health of the reef, as disruptions in the sound patterns are indicators of environmental stressors and therefore of concern to conservationists.