Florida Residents Worried Over Mysterious ‘Bass Tones’; Experts Believe It Is Noisy Fish Sex

The Residents of Tampa, Florida, are awake at night due to a strange noise. They have been debating what could be causing the noise, which ranges from secret overnight operations at a nearby military base to a code-breaking nightclub. According to reports, the sound is so loud that their walls are vibrating keeping everyone awake.

Though there is no confirmation of the exact reason for the rolling bass tones, a scientist believes that the mysterious ‘bass tones’ could be noisy fish sex. According to Fox News, the sound caused a stir among the residents because no one could figure out where it came from. That’s when a fish acoustic expert, James Locascio, proposed that it could be the sound made by the black drum fish mating.

James Locascio, a fish acoustic expert at the Marine Laboratory and Aquarium in Sarasota, placed marine microphones nearby in an attempt to validate his theory. He had done an echo of definitive research in Cape Coral almost 20 years prior, so he was confident in his claims.

“A retired science teacher let me use her back porch for three months. It was very productive for my research. I called her this week and we talked for the first time in 18 years. I told her I was doing the same thing again," Locascio told the New York Post (NYP). According to the fish acoustic expert, the black drum’s noise during the winter mating season can reach up to 165 water decibels. When they make noise as a group, the sound travels through the ground and becomes audible on land.

The outlet further claims that to raise funds for James Locascio to investigate this enigmatic issue, the residents have created a GoFundMe page. Of the $2500 they wanted to raise for underwater microphones, $500 has already been collected.

Details on Black Drum Fish:

Smithsonian Magazine reports that Pogonias cromis, also known as the black drum fish, has large black or grey scales. They primarily consume prawns, crabs, shellfish, and mussels. They are bottom dwellers, with barbels protruding from their lower jaws and they can grow more than 5.5 feet long. Reports state that during mass spawning, the species (Pogonias cromis) produces a bumping bass beat by flexing muscles against its swim bladder. Bottom dwellers are most commonly found in lagoons, river mouths, and bays, but they can also be found offshore.