ABSTRACT

The "Lullaby for Corals" project was started by me in 2023. The project is dedicated to saving the Eilat Coral reef. "Lullaby for Corals" is a complex speaker system that includes a special sound-absorbing structure and a setup that produces and broadcasts "compensating" sound. "Compensating sound" is produced using a special sound program based on the work of artificial intelligence (AI) which can reprogram any sound: music, human speech, traffic noise, etc. into sounds that soothe corals and surrounding fauna that inhabit them. It is a Bio-art project built on the capabilities of artificial intelligence in the field of sound transformation.
The project is in the progress.

 

PROJECT

The coral reefs and their inhabitants are of extraordinary beauty and attract scuba divers from all over the world which contribute to the development of local tourism, business and thus, the economy of the entire region. Not only do the corals prop up the local economy but also, the marine ecosystem is a major source of calcium for medical preparations and procedures.
To date, the construction of a new embankment by the municipality of Eilat continues. According to scientists, the bright artificial lighting that will be installed on it will cause significant damage to the coral reef. At night, the corals “sleep”, and the bright light of the embankment lanterns prevents them from “falling asleep”. Due to the intrusive lighting, the corals get sick, lose their color and eventually die. 
While working on the project, I had to consult with scientists in physics and acoustics. After working together with scientists, a solution was found for both the problem of strong sound and the problem of harsh light from the headlights of passing cars.
I put up a temporary wall (screen) that will protect the corals from excess light and noise. A soundproof screen will dampen most of the acoustic impact. What to do with the remnants of extraneous noise? To do this, a special technological installation creates a compensating sound towards the corals (from the screen). The compensation sound is created online based on the noise from the disco and the noise patterns in this place. Patterns are measured throughout the year and processed by an AI-based program.
What is the function of lullabies in this project? The "Lullaby for Corals" clearly demonstrates the operation of a complex speaker system that includes a special sound-absorbing structure and a setup that produces and broadcasts "compensating" sound.

 

SCIENTIFIC FOUNDATION OF RESEARCH

Israeli researchers have joined a cooperative regional venture aimed at saving the corals in the Red Sea. Nowadays, israeli scientists join colleagues from Sudan, Saudi Arabia to save Red Sea Corals.
I plan to collaborate with several laboratories. The new center located in Bern, Switzerland, will study the Red Sea corals’ resistance to both global and local threats. It will be staffed by researchers from all the countries bordering the Red Sea, including Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan.
The Israeli team will be led by Prof. Maoz Fine (www.bio.huji.ac.il/en/content/fine-maoz) of Bar-Ilan University and the Interuniversity Institute for Marine Sciences in Eilat (https://iui-eilat.huji.ac.il). Other cooperating institutes include the University of Jordan’s faculty of marine sciences in Aqaba.
The new center will study the Red Sea corals’ resistance to both global and local threats. It will have specialists in a variety of fields, including oceanography, biology, genetics, ecology and geology.
Corals worldwide have been endangered by global warming, pollution, illegal fishing and changes in the sea. The center will therefore study the effects of variables such as agriculture, urbanization, illegal fishing and industrial waste on Red Sea corals.

 

Israeli organizations supporting this project:

University of Haifa

Ben-Gurion University of Negev

Bar-Ilan University

Tel Aviv University

Technion

Weizmann Institute of Science

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem