Experts say the "acoustic enrichment" could be a valuable tool in helping to restore damaged coral reefs.

Working on Australia's recently devastated Great Barrier Reef, the international research team from the Universities of Exeter and Bristol, Australia's James Cook University, and the Australian Institute of Marine Science, placed loudspeakers underwater playing healthy reef recordings in patches of dead coral.

They found that twice as many fish arrived—and stayed—at the reefs compared to equivalent patches where no sound was played.

"Fish are crucial for coral reefs to function as healthy ecosystems," said study lead author Tim Gordon, a PhD student at Exeter University.