Title:

Restorative Acoustics

Restoration Acoustics *Corey Petix, Gwen Holtquist, & Phillip Cooper, University of New Hampshire Coastal reefs are important ecosystems that provide a buffer to storm surges, prevent coastal erosion, and provide a habitat for important commercial fish species. Due to anthropogenic activity and the effects of climate change, these reefs are becoming increasingly damaged. The recruitment and eventual settling of different species is essential to maintaining a healthy reef (Gordon, 2019). Olfactory cues are subject to currents and tides, but auditory cues can disperse independent of flow conditions and travel for hundreds of meters to several kilometers (Williams, 2021). The goal of the project is to capitalize on the restorative effects of acoustic playback through autonomous playback for prolonged periods of time on an underwater speaker. The speaker would have a power source and playback system completely independent from surface interaction with playback optimized at 12-hour intervals. The system is composed of rechargeable batteries, an amplifier, and microchip controller contained within a watertight container capable of significant heat transfer and future modification. The speaker and housing will be deployed in Great Bay, NH, either fully submerged or with surface buoyancy along mooring lines. A speaker system with this level of independence and extended playback time can provide the restorative means to counteract the damage inflicted by mass change in climate on the world’s oceans.

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