Acoustic indices provide information on the status of coral reefs: an example from Moorea Island in the South Pacific.

ABSTRACT: Different marine habitats are characterised by different soundscapes. How or which differences may be representative of the habitat characteristics and/or community structure remains however to be explored. A growing project in passive acoustics is to find a way to use soundscapes to have information on the habitat and on its changes. In this study we have successfully tested the potential of two acoustic indices, i.e. the average sound pressure level and the acoustic complexity index based on the frequency spectrum. Inside and outside marine protected areas of Moorea Island (French Polynesia), sound pressure level was positively correlated with the characteristics of the substratum and acoustic complexity was positively correlated with fish diversity. It clearly shows soundscape can be us

SUBMITTER: Bertucci F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5024098 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature