Passive acoustic monitoring of fish choruses: a review to inform the development of a monitoring and management tool

Abstract

Passive acoustic monitoring of fish choruses utilises the sounds produced by fish as natural acoustic tags to extract ecologically important information regarding these animals and their respective habitats. Fish produce sounds in association with life functions and many species make these sounds en masse, in choruses. Passive acoustic monitoring of fish choruses can provide data on the spatiotemporal distribution, habitat use, spawning activity, behaviour, and local abundance of fish populations. Research in this area of study has been rapidly advancing since the 1940s; however, a review has yet to be undertaken to understand the scope of our understanding of these ecologically significant phenomena and how monitoring these choruses may be used to inform management practices. We have reviewed the literature on fish choruses to provide a broad summary on several research topics including: (1) the current scientific understanding of the definition of a fish chorus, (2) the spatiotemporal distribution of these phenomena, (3) drivers of fish chorus activity, (4) measurement methodologies, (5) current applications of passive acoustic monitoring of fish choruses to management practices, and (6) research areas requiring targeted improvement. We have identified a series of key research gaps that require prioritisation in future research. Appropriately addressing these shortfalls will facilitate the improvement of monitoring fish choruses in conjunction with other mainstream monitoring tools to inform management practices and stock assessments of fish populations in marine, brackish, and freshwater habitats worldwide.

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