New Publication: Acoustic Profiling of Atlantic Seamounts

We are pleased to share a new paper from our team and collaborators: "Acoustic Profiling of Atlantic Seamounts: Insights towards cost-effective Monitoring of Remote Marine Ecosystems", now in press in Continental Shelf Research.

The study is authored by Rita Carriço, Manuel Vieira, Mónica A. Silva, Pedro Afonso, Jorge Fontes, Gui M. Menezes, Paulo J. Fonseca, and M. Clara P. Amorim. It brings together researchers from OKEANOS / IMAR (University of the Azores), MARE / ARNET, cE3c, and FCUL (University of Lisbon), with team members Rita, Manuel, Clara, and Paulo representing the FishBioAcoustics Lab. This publication stems directly from Rita Carriço's PhD research.

Highlights:

• Seamount Soundscapes: Using passive acoustic monitoring (PAM), the team assessed fish sound presence and diversity across four mid-North Atlantic seamounts with contrasting summit depths.

• Depth & Activity: Shallower seamounts showed noticeably higher fish sound diversity and acoustic activity, likely tied to greater habitat complexity and species richness.

• Day-Night Patterns: Sound production followed clear diel cycles, highlighting temporal shifts in fish vocal behavior and habitat use.

• Ecoacoustic Indices: Indices such as the Acoustic Complexity Index (ACI), Entropy (H), and Sound Pressure Level (SPL) successfully captured spatial and temporal patterns, and also consistent with underwater visual census data from shallow summits.

Catalogue of the fish acoustic community has been updated and can be consulted in the supplementary material.

Reference:

Carriço, R., Vieira, M., Silva, M. A., Afonso, P., Fontes, J., Menezes, G. M., Fonseca, P. J., & Amorim, M. C. P. (2026). Acoustic Profiling of Atlantic Seamounts: Insights towards cost-effective Monitoring of Remote Marine Ecosystems. Continental Shelf Research, 105770.🔗 DOI: 10.1016/j.csr.2026.105770