Erica Staaterman

Soundscapes from a Tropical Eastern Pacific reef and a Caribbean Sea reef

Underwater soundscapes vary due to the abiotic and biological components of the habitat. We quantitatively characterized the acoustic environments of two coral reef habitats, one in the Tropical Eastern Pacific (Panama) and one in the Caribbean (Florida Keys), over 2-day recording durations in July 2011. We examined the frequency distribution, temporal variability, and biological patterns of sound production and found clear differences. The Pacific reef exhibited clear biological patterns and high temporal variability, such as the onset of snapping shrimp noise at night, as well as a 400-Hz daytime band likely produced by damselfish. In contrast, the Caribbean reef had high sound levels in the lowest frequencies, but lacked clear temporal patterns. We suggest that acoustic measures are an important element to include in reef monitoring programs, as the acoustic environment plays an important role in the ecology of reef organisms at multiple life-history stages.

First evidence of fish larvae producing sounds.

The acoustic ecology of marine fishes has traditionally focused on adults, while overlooking the early life-history stages. Here, we document the first acoustic recordings of pre-settlement stage grey snapper larvae (Lutjanus griseus). Through a combination of in situ and unprovoked laboratory recordings, we found that L. griseus larvae are acoustically active during the night, producing ‘knock’ and ‘growl’ sounds that are spectrally and temporally similar to those of adults. While the exact function and physiological mechanisms of sound production in fish larvae are unknown, we suggest that these sounds may enable snapper larvae to maintain group cohesion at night when visual cues are reduced.

Lights, camera, science: The utility and growing popularity of film festivals at scientific meetings

Scientific publications have traditionally been viewed as the fruit of a scientist’s labor. Publishing in the peer-reviewed literature is the gold-standard method for communicating research products to other researchers. Yet today, the greater population of academics and researchers are increasingly recognizing the value of non-traditional scientific research products (Bickford et al. 2012, Ecklund et al. 2012), and certain funding agencies are now asking scientists to list ‘products’ rather than just ‘publications’ on their proposals (Piwowar 2013). But how can scientists gather and learn about these different research products and use this as a

Do bioacoustic conditions reflect species diversity? A case study from four tropical marine habitats

New tools, such as passive acoustic monitoring, can be helpful for measuring levels of biodiversity in habitats that are otherwise difficult to sample. Here, we tested the utility of acoustic measurements in shallow coastal waters by conducting simultaneous bioacoustic and biodiversity surveys in four habitat types in Panama: mangrove, reef, seagrass, and sand. We found that acoustic measurements in the “low band” (<1000 Hz) were positively correlated with cryptic fish species richness. However, our 24-h acoustic recordings revealed a clear toadfish chorus at dusk, which masked other fish sounds and confounded results from newer acoustic indices such as acoustic entropy and acoustic complexity. Band level in the “high band” (3,000-10,000 Hz) did not differ across habitat types and was not significantly correlated to biodiversity measurements. Our study demonstrates that bioacoustic surveys can help scientists to identify certain cryptic, soniferous species, and should be used in tandem with traditional bi...

Underwater auditory scenes near coral reefs

Recent studies suggest that reef soundscapes may serve as long-distance navigational cues for settlement-stage larval fishes. To understand the role of acoustic signals during larval settlement, we investigated temporal and spatial patterns in coral reef soundscapes in the Florida Keys, USA. We used 14-month simultaneous acoustic recordings from two nearby reefs, coupled with environmental data, to describe temporal variability in the soundscape on scales of hours to months, and to understand abiotic and biological components. We also recorded acoustic pressure and particle acceleration (which fish larvae likely perceive) with increasing distance from the reef. High acoustic frequencies typically varied on daily cycles, while low frequencies were primarily driven by lunar cycles. Some of these patterns were explained by environmental conditions, while others were attributed to biological sounds. At both reefs, the highest sound levels (~130 dB re:1μPa) occurred during new moons of the wet season, when man...