The Science of Sound: Why It Matters
Sound for Conservation
Sound is more than just noise—it’s an essential part of life. Many species rely on sound to communicate, navigate, find food, and avoid danger. Studying these natural soundscapes allows researchers to:
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Measure Ecosystem Health – Changes in soundscapes can indicate shifts in biodiversity, habitat loss, and the effects of climate change.
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Understand Human Impact – Industrial noise, urban sprawl, highways, and shipping lanes are making the world an increasingly loud and hostile place for wildlife. Research helps reveal these impacts and identify ways to mitigate them.
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Detect Rare & Elusive Species – Many animals are difficult to observe directly, but their calls and vocalizations provide clues to their presence and behavior.
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Preserve Natural Soundscapes for Future Generations – People have an instinctive connection to nature’s sounds. But as noise pollution grows, we risk losing these experiences forever.
Tackling the Rising Threat of Noise Pollution
Human-generated noise is one of the most overlooked environmental threats today.
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On Land: Urban expansion, highways, and outdoor recreation are fragmenting natural soundscapes, making it harder for wildlife to communicate, find mates, and avoid predators.
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In the Ocean: Industrial shipping, energy development, and deep-sea mining have made marine environments exponentially louder, disrupting whales, dolphins, and other aquatic species that depend on sound to survive.
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Without action, noise pollution could have long-term consequences for biodiversity, ecosystem stability, and even human well-being.
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By funding research, Opsanus Fund helps scientists measure these changes and identify solutions that protect natural environments.
What are we trying to conserve?
Sound can tell us an enormous amount about the health of an ecosystem. The sound below is that of a dusk chorus of birds in Panama - a diversity of species and individuals, each communicating something important
Birdsong is something we naturally associate with ecosystem health. Rachel Carson's wrote about the warning that a loss of birdsong gave us in her book Silent Spring.
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But sound is just as vital for animals that make their home under the sea. This sound below is that of a fish chorus made up at least three species on a tropical coral reef.
Not all recordings are so nice to listen to. The below audio comes from that same tropical reef. Absent are fish sounds and the soundscape is now dominated by a passing vessel.​
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These recordings, captured by Opsanus Fund director Dr. Erica Staaterman, tell a story. They can help us determine when animals call. They allow us to determine which animals are present. And they illustrate the impacts of human generated sound.
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At Opsanus Fund, we believe that humans and animals can coexist. We believe that sound is a vital tool for understanding how we impact the environment and how we can find ways to exist with, not at the expense of, the natural world.