Autonomous cameras reveal larval reef fish responses to acoustic enrichment and lunar phase

Océane Boulais; Aaron Thode; Corinne Pickering; Natalie Levy; Daniel Schar; Jessica Reichert; Tyler Maldonado; Josh Madin; Joshua Levy; Ben Jones; Sean Mahaffey; Aricia Argyris; Mark Aruda; Ian Robertson; Zhenhua Huang; Ayrton Medina-Rodriguez; Mert Gokdepe; Brady Halvorson; Jon Chase; Charlotte White; Cami Dillon; Kristian McDonald; Anna Mikkelsen; Mollie Asbury; Jessica Haver; Hendrikje Jorissen; Marion Chapeau; Robert Toonen; Christopher Suchocki; Van Wishingrad; Christopher Jury; Nina Schiettekatte; Madeleine Hardt; Claire Lewis; Claire Bardin; Joshua Kualani; Crawford Drury; Kira Hughes; Josh Hancock; Carlo Caruso; Andrea Grottoli; Shannon Dixon; Josh Voss; Allison Klein; Sid Verma; Alejandro Alvaro; Richard Argall; Kevin Chun; William Hicks; Alex LeBon; John Yeh; Daniel Wangpraseurt; Samapti Kundu; Lindsey Badder; Stefan Kolle; Erik Franklin; Kelsey Maloney; Guan-Yan Chen

doi:10.1038/s41598-026-57857-9

Autonomous cameras reveal larval reef fish responses to acoustic enrichment and lunar phase

O Océane Boulais A Aaron Thode C Corinne Pickering N Natalie Levy D Daniel Schar J Jessica Reichert T Tyler Maldonado J Josh Madin J Joshua Levy B Ben Jones S Sean Mahaffey A Aricia Argyris M Mark Aruda I Ian Robertson Z Zhenhua Huang A Ayrton Medina-Rodriguez M Mert Gokdepe B Brady Halvorson J Jon Chase C Charlotte White C Cami Dillon K Kristian McDonald A Anna Mikkelsen M Mollie Asbury J Jessica Haver H Hendrikje Jorissen M Marion Chapeau R Robert Toonen C Christopher Suchocki V Van Wishingrad C Christopher Jury N Nina Schiettekatte M Madeleine Hardt C Claire Lewis C Claire Bardin J Joshua Kualani C Crawford Drury K Kira Hughes J Josh Hancock C Carlo Caruso A Andrea Grottoli S Shannon Dixon J Josh Voss A Allison Klein S Sid Verma A Alejandro Alvaro R Richard Argall K Kevin Chun W William Hicks A Alex LeBon J John Yeh D Daniel Wangpraseurt S Samapti Kundu L Lindsey Badder S Stefan Kolle E Erik Franklin K Kelsey Maloney G Guan-Yan Chen

Abstract

Abstract Acoustic enrichment (AE)—the playback of ambient sound from healthy coral reefs—shows promise in attracting fish larvae to degraded or artificial reefs, but previous evaluations have used invasive diver-based sampling techniques, limiting most studies to short deployments in benign and accessible environments. This study used fully autonomous cameras to non-invasively evaluate AE efficacy in attracting settlement-stage fish larvae and mature fish over large fractions of a lunar cycle. We deployed an AE system in Kāne’ohe Bay (O‘ahu, Hawai‘i) over three spawning events (August 2023, June–July 2024). Treatment (active speaker) and control (inactive speaker) sites were built by placing artificial structures, autonomous cameras, and hydrophones on a sandy seabed at 5 m water depth, with sites separated by 42–65 m. Treatment and control designations were alternated between deployments to remove potential spatial bias. Manual and semi-automated image analysis found larval counts at both sites peaking around the new moon, but the treatment site attracted 4–14 times more larvae. Both sites encountered similar numbers of mature fish. These results demonstrate that autonomous camera systems can non-invasively study fish larval presence and provide further support that AE can enhance larval fish response.

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Article Details

Journal Scientific Reports

Volume / Issue Vol. 16, Issue 1

Published June 26, 2026

DOI 10.1038/s41598-026-57857-9

ISSN 2045-2322

Publisher Nature Portfolio

Journal Info

Scientific Reports

Nature Portfolio

ISSN: 2045-2322 Open Access Life Sciences

Authors (58)

O

Océane Boulais

A

Aaron Thode

C

Corinne Pickering

N

Natalie Levy

D

Daniel Schar

J

Jessica Reichert

T

Tyler Maldonado

J

Josh Madin

J

Joshua Levy

B

Ben Jones

S

Sean Mahaffey

A

Aricia Argyris

M

Mark Aruda

I

Ian Robertson

Z

Zhenhua Huang

A

Ayrton Medina-Rodriguez

M

Mert Gokdepe

B

Brady Halvorson

J

Jon Chase

C

Charlotte White

C

Cami Dillon

K

Kristian McDonald

A

Anna Mikkelsen

M

Mollie Asbury

J

Jessica Haver

H

Hendrikje Jorissen

M

Marion Chapeau

R

Robert Toonen

C

Christopher Suchocki

V

Van Wishingrad

C

Christopher Jury

N

Nina Schiettekatte

M

Madeleine Hardt

C

Claire Lewis

C

Claire Bardin

J

Joshua Kualani

C

Crawford Drury

K

Kira Hughes

J

Josh Hancock

C

Carlo Caruso

A

Andrea Grottoli

S

Shannon Dixon

J

Josh Voss

A

Allison Klein

S

Sid Verma

A

Alejandro Alvaro

R

Richard Argall

K

Kevin Chun

W

William Hicks

A

Alex LeBon

J

John Yeh

D

Daniel Wangpraseurt

S

Samapti Kundu

L

Lindsey Badder

S

Stefan Kolle

E

Erik Franklin

K

Kelsey Maloney

G

Guan-Yan Chen

Autonomous cameras reveal larval reef fish responses to acoustic enrichment and lunar phase

Abstract

Article Details

Journal Info

Authors (58)

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