An acoustic investigation of seagrass photosynthesis

The use of high-frequency acoustics has recently emerged as a viable method for mapping the areal coverage of seagrasses. Since the bubbles produced by seagrass plants are partly responsible for the observed acoustic signature, it is likely that sound transmission throughout a seagrass canopy varies on circadian cycles coinciding with photosynthetic bubble production. This study examined the propagation of high-frequency (100 kHz) sound energy through the seagrass canopies of Syringodium filiforme, Halodule wrightii and Thalassia testudinum in a shallow outdoor mesocosm. Relative changes in the received acoustic energy were recorded every hour during a 24-h period and compared to independently measured rates of oxygen production. The mean acoustic intensity of energy transmitted throughout the seagrass canopy varied by 3.5 dB for S. filiforme, 4.4 dB for T. testudinum and 4.7 dB for H. wrightii over a 24-h period. These transmission characteristics are encouraging for the future development of in situ acoustic assessments of seagrass photosynthesis.