CORAL SOUND RESILIENCE
Marco Barotti
How might sound heal damaged ecosystems?
Coral Sonic Resilience is an underwater sound installation that uses the soundscapes of healthy coral reefs to attract marine life and restore degraded ecosystems. Combining art and science, the project features sound sculptures 3D-printed from ceramic and calcium carbonate - materials that naturally encourage marine organisms to settle and grow. The underwater sound sculptures are powered sustainably by a floating solar station that converts sunlight into electricity.
The project builds directly on breakthrough research published in Nature Communications and was developed in collaboration with marine biologists Timothy Lamont, Antonio Beggiato, and the Alligator Head Foundation in Jamaica. Through the lens of “acoustic enrichment,” science becomes a living catalyst, utilising the voices of thriving reefs to guide a new generation of marine life back to repopulate and heal the underwater landscape.
BIOGRAPHY
Marco Barotti is an Italian artist and sound designer whose work explores ecological systems through kinetic sculpture, sound, and movement. Using custom-built mechanical instruments and spatial audio, he translates environmental data and collective behaviours found in nature into immersive, often playful installations. Trained in sound design, Barotti’s practice merges engineering precision with artistic experimentation, encouraging close listening and attentiveness to fragile ecosystems. His works have been presented internationally in museums, festivals, and public spaces.
CREDITS
Thank you to the Ocean and the more-than-human communities.
Video: Gabriele Castellani, Bethany Dean, Luca Larson, Marco Barotti
Editing: Anna Anderegg, Marco Barotti
Media Design: Rahul Sharma, overlapping_studio
Soundscape: Marco Barotti
Mastering: Mattia Tuliozi
Featured in the soundscape: Shinto Singing: JyoKan Ono, Mudang: Shaman Eunmi Pang, Horogai (conch shell): Daizaburo Sakamoto
Photography credit: Phoebe Powell