Healthy reefs are acoustically rich environments, filled with fish croaks and shrimp snaps. Océane Boulai and their collaborators mimicked these sound environments to study the effects of sounds on 19 artificial coral settlement modules placed in Kāneʻohe Bay, Oahu, Hawaii. The researchers recorded audio near a vibrant reef, which they replayed at various distances from their artificial microhabitats, which were coated with a bacteria designed to induce larval settlement. Notably, there were significant increases in coral settlement close to the speakers.

Mongolia’s vast landscape, coupled with a Soviet-era healthcare legacy, has created sharp contrasts in healthcare between cities and rural areas. In a recent study, researchers from Japan explored the challenges and strengths of Mongolia’s healthcare, including topics, such as universal coverage, traditional medicine, and professional development. They also pointed to gaps in rural access and disease prevention strategies and proposed culturally aware, partnership-based solutions to help improve care across the country.