Patterns of biophonic periodicity on coral reefs in the Great Barrier Reef

Research on the Great Barrier Reef reveals that coral reefs around Lizard Island exhibit diverse bioacoustic phenomena, particularly fish choruses with distinct spatial and temporal patterns. Over three years (2014–2016), six fish choruses displayed site fidelity, suggesting these locations serve as critical habitats for vocalizing species, possibly including spawning aggregations. These choruses demonstrated a range of periodicities from diel to annual, providing new insights into reef fish ecology and ecosystem dynamics. Environmental factors such as temperature and moonlight significantly influenced chorus timing and sound levels, underscoring the potential of passive acoustic monitoring for long-term coral reef assessment—especially relevant amid global disturbances like coral bleaching.

McWilliam, J. N., McCauley, R. D., Erbe, C., & Parsons, M. J. G. (2017). Patterns of biophonic periodicity on coral reefs in the Great Barrier Reef. Scientific Reports, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-15838-z