Effects of anthropogenic noise on fishes at the SK-B Seamount Marine Protected Area
Presentation Abstract
Underwater noise from anthropogenic sources has been increasing dramatically for the past few decades. Its impacts on marine mammals have been widely studied, but little is known of the effects of noise on fishes and invertebrates. Marine anthropogenic noise at low frequencies overlaps with fishes’ hearing range and peak sound production which can reduce their communication space and result in habitat loss. In addition to increasing stress levels and impairing the ability of fish to detect prey and predators, intense noise can cause tissue damage, temporary hearing loss and reduced survival.
This study is part of a MEOPAR project that focuses on quantifying and comparing vessel noise from recordings at three locations: SGaan Kinghlas-Bowie Seamount Marine Protected Area (SKB MPA), Sachs Harbour (Amundsen Gulf) and the Salish Sea. Acoustic data were collected by DFO at SKB MPA with an autonomous recorder between July 2011 and July 2013. Our project focuses on inspecting these data in search of fish sounds to determine presence and identification of sound-producing fish species and the seasonality of their acoustic behaviour. We will then correlate these detections with the MEOPAR ocean soundscape quantifications to identify potential acoustic threats to deep-water habitats of Pacific fishes. The same procedure could be applied to the Salish Sea location, which is facing increased vessel traffic due to port expansion. Fish sounds have already been detected and identified at the Delta node of the Venus underwater cabled observatory and the impacts of increased anthropogenic noise on these species is currently unknown. This study addresses the need to cover knowledge gaps in fish acoustic behaviour and quantify the baseline soundscape in coastal and deep-water habitats of Pacific fishes to inform managers of the impact of multiple stressors so they can set maximum thresholds in target habitats to be protected.
Session Title
Toxics, Pollutants and Species
Conference Track
Salish Sea Snapshots
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2016 : Vancouver, B.C.)
Document Type
Event
Start Date
2016 12:00 AM
End Date
2016 12:00 AM
Location
2016SSEC
Type of Presentation
Snapshot
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Underwater acoustics--Environmental aspects; Noise--Environmental aspects; Environmental monitoring
Geographic Coverage
Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Rights
This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Effects of anthropogenic noise on fishes at the SK-B Seamount Marine Protected Area
2016SSEC
Underwater noise from anthropogenic sources has been increasing dramatically for the past few decades. Its impacts on marine mammals have been widely studied, but little is known of the effects of noise on fishes and invertebrates. Marine anthropogenic noise at low frequencies overlaps with fishes’ hearing range and peak sound production which can reduce their communication space and result in habitat loss. In addition to increasing stress levels and impairing the ability of fish to detect prey and predators, intense noise can cause tissue damage, temporary hearing loss and reduced survival.
This study is part of a MEOPAR project that focuses on quantifying and comparing vessel noise from recordings at three locations: SGaan Kinghlas-Bowie Seamount Marine Protected Area (SKB MPA), Sachs Harbour (Amundsen Gulf) and the Salish Sea. Acoustic data were collected by DFO at SKB MPA with an autonomous recorder between July 2011 and July 2013. Our project focuses on inspecting these data in search of fish sounds to determine presence and identification of sound-producing fish species and the seasonality of their acoustic behaviour. We will then correlate these detections with the MEOPAR ocean soundscape quantifications to identify potential acoustic threats to deep-water habitats of Pacific fishes. The same procedure could be applied to the Salish Sea location, which is facing increased vessel traffic due to port expansion. Fish sounds have already been detected and identified at the Delta node of the Venus underwater cabled observatory and the impacts of increased anthropogenic noise on these species is currently unknown. This study addresses the need to cover knowledge gaps in fish acoustic behaviour and quantify the baseline soundscape in coastal and deep-water habitats of Pacific fishes to inform managers of the impact of multiple stressors so they can set maximum thresholds in target habitats to be protected.
