Listening with the Fishes: Aquatic Audio Interfaces to Experience Acoustic Underwater Worlds

Recent research has revealed the rich sensory perception of aquatic species, highlighting opportunities to enhance the acoustic experiences of fish in managed care environments where visitors and life support systems contribute to the underwater soundscape. While awareness of underwater noise pollution in natural ecosystems is increasing, its presence in aquarium environments and its potential effects on aquatic animals, remains underexplored. This paper presents a pilot installation, the first stage of a proposed three-part system aimed at fostering public awareness of underwater acoustics and fish communication. The full system envisions: (1) playback of prerecorded fish vocalizations and natural underwater soundscapes, (2) live audio from tanks housing vocal fish species to reveal inter-fish communication, (3) interactive tank with visitor generated sounds allowing visitors to experience the acoustic environment of captive fishes.