With ‘ocean music’ and a multi-species approach, Adelaide University research is helping bring ecosystems back from the brink of extinction.
Oyster reefs are considered among the most degraded marine habitats in the world. They once followed Australia’s coastline for almost half its length and provided a thriving environment for many kinds of organism. But within a hundred years of colonial settlement, they were dredged to near extinction. To the colonists, this meant fewer oysters to harvest. To the fish, crabs and amphipods living in the reefs, it meant nowhere to call home.
“These ecosystems provided the foundation for communities that spread far beyond the reef,” says Dr Dominic McAfee, a researcher from Adelaide University’s Environment Institute. "There are very few of these reefs left in the world.”
Professor Sean Connell and Dr McAfee are conducting research to support a nationwide effort to recover the lost reefs. Already, the University has helped the South Australian Government and The Nature Conservancy to achieve the largest oyster reef restoration in the Southern Hemisphere, the Windara Reef. And now, they’re adding to the success of their restoration work with a novel and award-winning technique: underwater music.
When the Windara Reef foundations were laid, a layer of fast-growing turf algae covered the new surfaces, preventing the settlement of baby oysters. In response, the researchers installed kelp, whose canopies formed a barrier against the algae. This multi-species approach freed a space for the oysters to settle.
But how do they find the reef? This is where the music comes in.