Fish love songs and fighting talk: underwater sound library to reveal language of the deep

Scientists plan a vast global store of aquatic noises to help monitor marine life, identify species - and even uncover regional dialects

From the boing" of a minke whale to the drum" of a red piranha, scientists are documenting more sounds in our world's oceans, rivers and lakes every year. Now, a team of experts wants to go a step further and create a reference library of aquatic noise to monitor the health of marine ecosystems.

The Global Library of Underwater Biological Sounds, Glubs", will include every thwop", muah" and boop" of a humpback whale as well as human-made underwater sounds and records of the geophysical swirl of ice and wind, according to a paper in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution.