Sound travels farther in water than it does in the air, and acoustics are an important aspect of daily life for marine creatures ranging from whales to coral. In addition to communication, many marine animals rely on sound for navigation, hunting, avoiding predators, and choosing ideal places to live. Baby oysters are among the many species that depend on sound cues in their environment to determine where best to settle down. But researchers in Australia have discovered a growing challenge for oysters: the interference of human-created noise in the ocean.
In Print: June 1, 2025