Animals and Sound in the Sea
Effects of Sound
What are the effects of anthropogenic sound on fish?
Although much of the attention on the effects of anthropogenic (human-generated) sounds on marine animals has focused on marine mammals, the same concerns are being raised about the effects of sound on fishes. The ears of marine mammals and fishes are similar (1), suggesting that similar effects are expected between the two groups. However, much less is known about the effects of underwater sound on fishes than on marine mammals. Studies have found that fishes are affected in a variety of ways depending on the sounds to which they are exposed. It is important to examine each individual sound source to determine its potential effects (see How do you determine if a sound source might affect a marine animal?).
The following sections discuss the effects of sound that have been reported for fishes. Some documented responses to sound include: behavioral responses, such as moving towards or away from a sound source, or moving up or down in the water column; hearing loss; and physiological stress responses. Based on the way the ear works in fishes (for more information see How do fish hear sounds?), it is believed they would experience masking in the ocean. No studies have documented this effect yet, although masking has been measured in many laboratory studies. Additional research is needed to increase our knowledge of ocean noise and how fishes respond to it.
References
- Popper, A.N., Fewtrell, J., Smith, M.E. and McCauley, R.D. 2003/04. Anthropogenic sound: Effects on the behavior and physiology of fishes. Marine Technology Society Journal, 37(4): 35-40. (1)
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