Characterization of diverse coral types using passive acoustic recorded data from the lagoon area of the Kavaratti—An atoll of the Lakshadweep archipelago

The presence of sound in marine habitats can be an indicator of biological processes. Therefore, sound monitoring of the reef system is important to develop an in-depth understanding of the biodiversity, vulnerabilities, and potential changes of ecosystems. In order to understand the diversity related to the coral types, we have computed Acoustic Complexity Index (ACI) (temporal and spectral scales) using passive acoustic recorded data from the lagoon area off the Kavaratti—an atoll of the Lakshadweep archipelago. ACI is found to be the highest in location “A” where the coral type of Acropora sp. and ample fish diversity is observed. In location “C” where massive Porites sp. and Pocillopora sp. with significant acoustic assemblages are observed, ACI was found to be comparatively lower than the location “A.” Whereas for “B,” “D,” and “E” locations, relatively low level of ACI index is obtained. The ACI is the lowest in location “B” where macroalgae with no fish species are seen. Among these three locations, “E” shows higher ACI due to the shrimp sound dominance in the rock substrate having Porite sp. coral type.