🌅 These Fish Make Sounds

Author

Sunrise Stat
December 19, 2025

46 - The number of sound-producing fish species identified by a new underwater tool developed by conservation-technology researchers.

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SOURCE
WHAT TO KNOW

  • Researchers at conservation-technology nonprofit FishEye Collaborative and Cornell University developed a new tool combining underwater sound recordings and 360° video to pinpoint the sounds made by individual fish. The tool helped the team identify 46 sound-producing fish species from coral reefs in the Caribbean, compiling the most extensive collection of fish sounds ever published.

WHY IT MATTERS

  • Scientists have sound libraries for various species, like birds and whales, however, the sound resources for fish are much more limited. The new fish sound library will help scientists decipher where fish are thriving, whether they’re mating, and whether they’re migrating to another part of the ocean. Listening to the fish can help scientists learn about the health of coral reefs without using more intrusive methods, like catching fish.

CONNECT THE DOTS

  • Coral reefs cover less than 1% of the ocean floor while supporting 25% of all marine species, making them one of the world’s most important biodiversity hotspots and a crucial contributor to marine and human health. However, reefs around the world today are suffering record declines caused by climate change, pollution, and overfishing, threatening not only the marine biodiversity they support, but the food security and economic livelihoods of billions of people who depend on them.