Biological Sound vs. Anthropogenic Noise: Assessment of Behavioural Changes in Scyliorhinus canicula Exposed to Boats Noise

Abstract

Despite the growing interest in human-made noise effects on marine wildlife, few studies have investigated the potential role of underwater noise on elasmobranch species. In this study, twelve specimens of small-spotted catshark (Scyliorhinus canicula) were exposed to biological and anthropogenic sounds in order to assess their behavioural changes in response to prey acoustic stimuli and to different amplitude levels of shipping noise. The sharks, individually held in aquariums, were exposed to four experimental acoustic conditions characterized by different spectral (Hz) components and amplitude (dB re 1 µPa) levels. The swimming behaviour and spatial distribution of sharks were observed. The results highlighted significant differences in swimming time and in the spatial use of the aquarium among the experimental conditions. When the amplitude levels of biological sources were higher than those of anthropogenic sources, the sharks’ swimming behaviour was concentrated in the bottom sections of the aquarium; when the amplitude levels of anthropogenic sources were higher than biological ones, the specimens increased the time spent swimming. Moreover, their spatial distribution highlighted a tendency to occupy the least noisy sections of the aquarium. In conclusion, this study highlighted that anthropogenic noise is able to affect behaviour of catshark specimens and the impact depends on acoustic amplitude levels.

Environmental Drivers of Fine-Scale Predator and Prey Spatial Dynamics in Sydney Harbour, Australia, and Adjacent Coastal Waters

“…Previous research has indicated that human-induced noise impacts fish through reductions in movement patterns, feeding success, and slower flight from predators (Payne et al 2014;Leduc et al 2021). Anthropogenic noise also influences elasmobranch behaviour, with sharks increasing time spent swimming and avoiding noisier areas when anthropogenic noise levels exceeded biological noise levels in an aquarium (de Vincenzi et al 2021). Throughout Sydney Harbour, there is substantially more boat traffic during day-light hours.…”

Sound Productivity of Spiny Lobster Panulirus homarus (Linnaeus, 1758) due to Crude Oil Contamination

“…The sound mechanism production of spiny lobster associated with the movement of organs (Mulligan & Fischer, 1977). That organ movements indicated that the organism has identified crude oil as a threat and some emit sound in reaction to environmental changes (Bouwma & Herrnkind, 2009;Buscaino et al, 2011;de Vincenzi et al, 2021;Jezequel et al, 2018). In addition, the decrease in sound productivity presumed that P. homarus was under stress or pressure due to crude oil contamination.…”

Sex Associated Effects of Noise Pollution in Stone Sculpin (Paracottus knerii) as a Model Object in the Context of Human-Induced Rapid Environmental Change

“…Studies of acoustic effects on aquatic organisms, especially fish, show that anthropogenic noise negatively influences both teleost and elasmobranch fish [7,12,13] and directly affects vocal teleost fish, increasing stress, altering their metabolic processes, and negatively affecting all stages of their life activity [5,14,15]. Most fish communicate and hear best precisely in the range of technogenic noise, below 500 Hz, by sensing particle accelerations with their inner ear [16,17].…”