Variation in the soundscapes of Pacific coral reefs over multiple spectral, temporal, and spatial scales

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Biological sounds occurring on coral reefs are increasingly recognized as important factors influencing reef dynamics and ecological processes. Soundscapes of coral reefs can be broadly divided into a low-frequency band (<1 kHz), dominated by sounds produced by acoustically active fish, and a high-frequency band (2–20 kHz) dominated by snapping shrimp and other invertebrates. Because acoustic activities in both bands are influenced by a variety of ecological (biotic) and environmental (abiotic) factors, coral reef soundscapes are characterized by considerable spatial and temporal variability. The drivers of this variability are not yet well understood, but likely provide important insights into ecosystem processes and condition. We report on an effort to quantify the acoustic activity in both the fish and snapping shrimp frequency bands across twelve coral reef sites in the Pacific Ocean separated by distances ranging from hundreds of meters to thousands of kilometers, including reefs across the Hawaiian Archipelago, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa. We use data obtained from long-term, bottom-moored acoustic recorders to document the variability observed on multiple temporal scales and examine environmental drivers correlated with this variability at each location and differences among locations.