Listening with the Fishes: Aquatic Audio Interfaces to Experience Acoustic Underwater Worlds

Karen Lu, Ilyena Hirskyj-Douglas, Cailigh MacDonald, Rebecca Kleinberger.

ACI '25: Proceedings of the ACM 12th International Conference on Animal-Computer Interaction, PDF, DOI

ABSTRACT

Recent research has revealed the rich sensory perception of aquatic species, highlighting opportunities to enhance the acoustic experiences of fish in managed care environments where visitors and life support systems contribute to the underwater soundscape. While awareness of underwater noise pollution in natural ecosystems is increasing, its presence in aquarium environments and its potential effects on aquatic animals, remains underexplored. This paper presents a pilot installation, the first stage of a proposed three-part system aimed at fostering public awareness of underwater acoustics and fish communication. The full system envisions: (1) playback of prerecorded fish vocalizations and natural underwater soundscapes, (2) live audio from tanks housing vocal fish species to reveal inter-fish communication, (3) interactive tank with visitor generated sounds allowing visitors to experience the acoustic environment of captive fishes.

This paper reports on the deployment and evaluation of the third component, which was implemented without the involvement of any live fish. The installation featured a stylized, uninhabited tank containing a concealed hydrophone, which transmitted real-time audio from visitor actions—such as tapping, splashing, or activating bubbling filters—through headphones. This open-ended, embodied interaction encouraged users to explore how everyday behaviors translate acoustically underwater. Observations of 74 visitors revealed surprise, empathy, and increased awareness of noise pollution. Framed within Animal-Computer Interaction (ACI), this work offers a model for ethically grounded, public-facing systems that promote cross-species understanding.