Coral reefs are one of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet. They are very, very busy places - the megacities of the ocean. All sorts of marine creatures meet here and all of them speak a different language. It gets pretty noisy.

Coral is extremely sensitive to temperature. As the oceans become hotter and hotter so our reefs become fewer and fewer. The constant popping and crackling sound of thousands of snapping shrimps, and the grunting and squeaking noises of the reef fish will disappear. Along the Kenyan coast many coral reefs are still intact, but they are already getting quieter. Some have disappeared completely, leaving behind a silent desert of dead coral skeletons.

Both fish and humans depend on the reef sounds of the ocean. Underwater, sound travels further than light, and fish navigate to their feeding grounds in the coral reefs by the noise they make. Fishermen have to travel further to deeper seas to find fish.

We are collecting the coral reef sounds of the Kenyan coast, as well as songs about the ocean from different people living and working along the Kenyan coast. Download these marine melodies to travel with you on your phone as ring tones.

Thanks to: Justin Benesch. Supported by: Global Challenges Research Fund of the UK via the University of Oxfordfull project