Intelligence Squared A Deep Dive into the Sounds of the Seas, with Amorina Kingdon
Sep 2, 2024
Amorina Kingdon, an award-winning science writer and author of *Sing Like Fish*, dives into the fascinating world of underwater sounds. She reveals how marine creatures communicate and navigate through sound, sharing stories like the plainfin midshipman fish’s unique mating calls. Kingdon also discusses the significant impact of human noise pollution on these delicate ecosystems, emphasizing the urgent need for conservation efforts. The conversation opens a sonic window into the hidden life of the ocean, showcasing its beauty and vulnerability.
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Childhood Underwater Discovery
- As children, Amorina Kingdon and her brother played with trucks underwater in a lake.
- They noticed they couldn't hear each other's voices but could hear sounds from banging objects together.
Diverse Hearing Mechanisms
- Observing a fish ear perceiving sound revealed diverse ways of hearing.
- Fish use otoliths and sensory hair cells to detect sound, unlike human ears.
Subtle Noise Impacts
- Motorboat noise altered cleaner wrasse behavior, causing them to cheat more and get chased.
- This reveals that noise can subtly change ecosystem dynamics.
