Visualization and quantification of coral reef soundscapes using CoralSoundExplorer software.

Area of Science:

• Marine Biology
• Acoustic Ecology
• Bioacoustics

Background:

• Coral reefs are vital ecosystems facing significant threats from global change and human activities.
• Changes in coral reef ecosystems impact their acoustic characteristics, making soundscape monitoring crucial.
• Rapid measurement and identification of soundscape changes in coral reefs remain a challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• Introduce CoralSoundExplorer, an open-source software for studying and monitoring coral reef soundscapes.
• Demonstrate the software's capability to identify disturbances affecting coral reefs.
• Provide a user-friendly workflow for analyzing raw sound recordings to ecological results.

Main Methods:

• Utilize machine learning approaches within CoralSoundExplorer to analyze soundscape data.
• Eliminate the need for conventional acoustic indices by employing novel quantification methods.
• Analyze sound recordings from three distinct coral reef sites in Bora-Bora (undisturbed, tourist, boat).

Main Results:

• CoralSoundExplorer effectively visualizes the spatio-temporal distribution of sound recordings.
• The software provides new quantification methods for characterizing soundscapes at various temporal scales.
• Demonstrated ability to identify disturbances impacting coral reef soundscapes.

Conclusions:

• CoralSoundExplorer is a powerful tool for the rapid assessment and monitoring of coral reef health through soundscape analysis.
• The software facilitates the identification of anthropogenic impacts on marine soundscapes.
• Open-source accessibility promotes wider adoption in coral reef research and conservation.