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Ocean World of Sound (WOS) is the pioneering Passive Acoustic Monitoring program in the Mesoamerican Reef, focusing on analyzing ocean soundscapes to understand marine ecosystems better. Based in Cancun, we extend our research across the Mexican Caribbean, a region under environmental stress due to massive tourism growth.
Our work supports policymakers and Marine Protected Area management, and bridges the gap between science and the community by promoting engagement and conservation awareness. With sound monitoring, we’re introducing a cost-effective, minimal-resource approach ideal for the reef’s low-income coastal communities. WOS is crafting a replicable model for broad application across the MAR.
In 2007, Heather Spence visited Cancun and realized the significant challenges and limited resources local workers faced in managing the Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) on the Mesoamerican Reef. She saw in the Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) an ideal opportunity for the substantial baseline data collection that was urgently needed
PAM has many advantages: excellent coverage over time, with night recordings as good as daytime, and the ability to record in inclement weather and across seasons. PAM is also minimally invasive and low cost compared to other technologies.
Today we have 7 listening stations along the Mexican Mesoamerican Reef and over 200 hours of underwater recordings.
As a transdisciplinary group, we recognize the necessity of establishing a common language to explain our science. This realization led us to develop multiple platforms for sharing our work with the community.
Therefore, through workshops, conferences, and online tools, people can learn not only to listen but also to analyze the acoustic data that we record on the Mesoamerican Reef, strengthening the bond between the people and their marine environment.
There are many possibilities in coastal communities for acoustic monitoring, especially in developing countries where a cost-effective, minimal-resource approach is ideal for the reef’s conservation. In WOS we are crafting a replicable model for broad application across the Mesoamerican Reef.
In Ocean World of Sound we recognize the importance of multidisciplinarity, whether you come from science, arts, or humanities everyone can contribute. We will always be open and grateful for your support whether it is with time, money, mentorship, or just your friendship.