An international study shows noise from human operations at sea damages marine creatures and ocean ecosystems. Hundreds of studies on the impact of noise on marine invertebrates such as crabs, molluscs, squids, prawns and worms were reviewed. It was concluded that noise from human operations is harming these species in many ways. The work found that noise pollution at sea can even cause death in some marine species.
The study warns of impacts of noise pollution on marine life - such as delayed hatching and development of eggs, and significantly increased larvae abnormality and mortality rates in mussels and oysters, snails, cuttlefish and squids. It states shipping is the main source of marine noise, but there are many others—drilling, dredging, sonar, etc affecting the natural balance of the oceans.
Dr. Sophie Nedelec from the University of Exeter explained "Our study highlights that these animals exist in a rich underwater soundscape. We need to learn more about the impacts of noise pollution on these animals and ecosystems. Given that noise can affect invertebrates from cellular to ecosystem level, we need to bring together interdisciplinary expertise to gain a holistic view of the problem. Considering the many anthropogenic pressures, including climate change and fishing, we must do everything possible to limit underwater noise."
The paper "Marine invertebrates and noise," was led by the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya Laboratory of Applied Bioacoustics and is published in Frontiers in Marine Science.
More on the study
Full paper https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2023.1129057/full
