Healthy coral reefs echo with a chorus of grunts and purrs from fish feeding, looking for mates, or defending their territories, underscored by the persistent crackling of snapping shrimp. Larval corals use these sounds as cues to decide where to choose a home.

The researchers found that now a second species of coral larvae responded to the sounds of a healthy reef played through a speaker, indicating ‘acoustic enrichment’ encourages coral to settle has the potential to be a widely applicable method among coral species for reef restoration.

Golfball coral larvae settled at significantly higher rates when exposed to the sounds of a healthy reef during their first 36 hours in the water. After that window, sound had little effect.

Coral reefs support more than a quarter of all marine animals, protect coastlines from strong waves and storms, and provide food and tourism opportunities for millions of people around the world. Researchers estimate that 25% of all coral reefs have been lost in the last 30 years.

Leading European Ocean scientists have launched Navigating the Future VI (NFVI), a publication which provides governments, policymakers and funders with robust, independent scientific advice, focusing on the critical role the Ocean plays in the wider Earth system. Navigating the Future VI proposes the marine (natural and social) science research we need to help us address the challenges facing the planet, and with whom we need to collaborate to find solutions.

This is a flagship publication of the European Marine Board, an independent non-governmental advisory body that represents more than 10,000 marine scientists across Europe.

Nadja Drabon’s team at Harvard paints the most compelling picture to date of what happened the day the S2 meteorite crashed into Earth 3.26 billion years ago.