PhD defence Maryann Watson

Livestream

Maryann Watson (MarBio)

Promotores: Prof. B.D.H.K. Eriksson, Prof. L.L. Govers; copromotor: Dr I. van Opzeeland (AWI)

Reef riffs

Biological soundscapes & fish communities of reefs in the Wadden Sea

This thesis investigates how underwater soundscapes can support the understanding and monitoring of marine ecosystems, with a focus on reef habitats and restoration in the Wadden Sea. Soundscapes integrate biological activity, habitat characteristics, and human pressures, offering a powerful lens for studying ecosystem health. Advances in passive acoustic monitoring now allow these soundscapes to be recorded at large scales, providing a non-invasive and cost-effective tool to study fish populations, reef-associated communities, and habitat use. By linking ecological knowledge of reef systems with acoustic approaches, this work explores how sound can function both as an ecological signal and as a method for assessing reef community activity and restoration outcomes in a heavily modified coastal environment.

View thesis