Using a waterproof microphone (hydrophone) connected to the MARS undersea cabled observatory and placed 900 meters (3,000 feet) below the surface of Monterey Bay onto the ocean floor, researchers have been able to not only capture sounds of the deep sea, but have made the sounds with coordinating spectrogram available to the public through a live visual stream and an onsite listening room. According to a report from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, this project is helping to uncover many mysteries contained within the ocean.
Although the MARS hydrophone is located on the deep seafloor, most of the sounds it picks up are from animals and activities higher up in the water or even at the sea surface. For example, it is common for the hydrophone to pick up the calls of sea lions, dolphins, and other near-surface animals, as well as the sounds of rain, waves, and wind blowing over the sea surface. …In addition to hearing sounds from the hydrophone, listeners can also “see” the sounds in the form of a spectrogram that scrolls across the screen of the YouTube video. T
