Play a reef its own healthy soundtrack, and young corals come home

A healthy coral reef crackles and pops with life — and that sound turns out to be an invitation. Scripps Institution researchers found that playing recordings of a thriving reef helps coral larvae settle and young fish move in, speeding recovery on damaged reefs. The work, published across two peer-reviewed journals, feeds into a planned $22 million hybrid living reef off O'ahu in Hawaii, blending engineered structures with real coral plantings.