Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Communications Biology
In situ enhancement of coral larval settlement using acoustic enrichment, engineered habitats and living materials
Abstract
Worldwide reef ecosystem degradation is inspiring efforts to enhance in-situ coral larvae settlement onto degraded or artificial reefs. Here we simultaneously test three approaches for enhancing settlement over two weeks in Kāne’ohe Bay, O’ahu, Hawai’i. Nineteen artificial structures, mimicking natural reef mesoscale roughness, were deployed along two transect lines at distances between 1 and 42 m from an “acoustic enrichment” underwater speaker broadcasting healthy reef sound. Twelve additional cinder blocks supporting micro-habitat structures designed to attenuate flow were also deployed at various distances. Some micro-habitats were coated with a living bacteria reef ink (Brink) to further induce larval settlement. Statistical regressions identify Brink presence, structure type, and speaker distance to 20 m as significant factors in predicting coral larval settlement density, but conclusions about acoustic enrichment efficacy are tentative. The cumulative effects of acoustic enrichment, living microbial materials, and custom-designed habitats on enhancing in-situ larval settlement justify further scaled-up reef restoration trials.
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BibTeX
@article{thode2026situ,
title = {{In situ enhancement of coral larval settlement using acoustic enrichment, engineered habitats and living materials}},
author = {Aaron Thode and Natalie Levy and Océane Boulais and Samapti Kundu and Marnie Freckelton and Daniel Schar and Michael Hadfield and Jessica Reichert and Hendrikje Jorissen and Netanel Kramer and Joshua Levy and Kira Hughes and the R3D consortium and Benjamin Jones and Sean Mahaffey and Aricia Argyris and Mark Aruda and Ian Robertson and Zhenhua Huang and Ayrton Medina-Rodriguez and Mert Gokdepe and Brady Halvorson and Jon Chase and Charlotte White and Cami Dillon and Kristian McDonald and Anna Mikkelsen and Josh Madin and Mollie Asbury and Nina Schiettekatte and Marion Chapeau and Robert Toonen and Christopher Suchocki and Van Wishingrad and Christopher Jury and Madeleine Hardt and Claire Lewis and Claire Bardin and Joshua Kualani and Crawford Drury and Josh Hancock and Carlo Caruso and Andrea Grottoli and Shannon Dixon and Josh Voss and Allison Klein and Sid Verma and Alejandro Alvaro and Richard Argall and Kevin Chun and William Hicks and Alex LeBon and John Yeh and Aaron Thode and Oceane Boulais and Daniel Wangpraseurt and Samapti Kundu and Natalie Levy and Lindsey Badder and Stefan Kolle},
journal = {Communications Biology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1038/s42003-026-10932-3},
url = {https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-026-10932-3},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - In situ enhancement of coral larval settlement using acoustic enrichment, engineered habitats and living materials
AU - Aaron Thode
AU - Natalie Levy
AU - Océane Boulais
AU - Samapti Kundu
AU - Marnie Freckelton
AU - Daniel Schar
AU - Michael Hadfield
AU - Jessica Reichert
AU - Hendrikje Jorissen
AU - Netanel Kramer
AU - Joshua Levy
AU - Kira Hughes
AU - the R3D consortium
AU - Benjamin Jones
AU - Sean Mahaffey
AU - Aricia Argyris
AU - Mark Aruda
AU - Ian Robertson
AU - Zhenhua Huang
AU - Ayrton Medina-Rodriguez
AU - Mert Gokdepe
AU - Brady Halvorson
AU - Jon Chase
AU - Charlotte White
AU - Cami Dillon
AU - Kristian McDonald
AU - Anna Mikkelsen
AU - Josh Madin
AU - Mollie Asbury
AU - Nina Schiettekatte
AU - Marion Chapeau
AU - Robert Toonen
AU - Christopher Suchocki
AU - Van Wishingrad
AU - Christopher Jury
AU - Madeleine Hardt
AU - Claire Lewis
AU - Claire Bardin
AU - Joshua Kualani
AU - Crawford Drury
AU - Josh Hancock
AU - Carlo Caruso
AU - Andrea Grottoli
AU - Shannon Dixon
AU - Josh Voss
AU - Allison Klein
AU - Sid Verma
AU - Alejandro Alvaro
AU - Richard Argall
AU - Kevin Chun
AU - William Hicks
AU - Alex LeBon
AU - John Yeh
AU - Aaron Thode
AU - Oceane Boulais
AU - Daniel Wangpraseurt
AU - Samapti Kundu
AU - Natalie Levy
AU - Lindsey Badder
AU - Stefan Kolle
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/08
JO - Communications Biology
DO - 10.1038/s42003-026-10932-3
UR - https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-026-10932-3
AB - Worldwide reef ecosystem degradation is inspiring efforts to enhance in-situ coral larvae settlement onto degraded or artificial reefs. Here we simultaneously test three approaches for enhancing settlement over two weeks in Kāne’ohe Bay, O’ahu, Hawai’i. Nineteen artificial structures, mimicking natural reef mesoscale roughness, were deployed along two transect lines at distances between 1 and 42 m from an “acoustic enrichment” underwater speaker broadcasting healthy reef sound. Twelve additional cinder blocks supporting micro-habitat structures designed to attenuate flow were also deployed at various distances. Some micro-habitats were coated with a living bacteria reef ink (Brink) to further induce larval settlement. Statistical regressions identify Brink presence, structure type, and speaker distance to 20 m as significant factors in predicting coral larval settlement density, but conclusions about acoustic enrichment efficacy are tentative. The cumulative effects of acoustic enrichment, living microbial materials, and custom-designed habitats on enhancing in-situ larval settlement justify further scaled-up reef restoration trials.
SN - 2399-3642
ER -