Deconstructing the ecology of aquatic soundscapes to mitigate the effects of noise pollution on marine species

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Sound is a fundamental component of the sensory environment of many aquatic animals. Despite its importance, the effects of noise on aquatic organisms, particularly fishes, is not well studied nor is underwater noise regulated by Canadian federal or provincial legislation. By conducting comprehensive analyses of the different components of the soundscape (physical, biological, noise), we aim to bridge the knowledge gap and provide ecosystem-level information in difficult to sample aquatic environments. As the world has got noisier, the range and intensity of underwater anthropogenic noise continues to increase. Intense short-term noise can permanently alter auditory thresholds and lead to mortality for some organisms, while long-term chronic noise such as that produced by vessels, can lead to physiological and behavioural changes. Noise pollution can also mask environmental cues, vocalizations, or dampen the ability to hear conspecifics, prey or predators. My work will develop systems to provide quantitative descriptions of marine soundscapes and use our results to better understand the effects of noise on sound production and behaviour of aquatic organisms. The long-term goal of my research program is to develop a predictive theoretical and empirical framework for understanding the fitness consequences of natural and human-induced changes to the acoustic environment of aquatic organisms. The results from these studies will inform policies to protect and mitigate the impacts of noise pollution on marine species. My short-term objectives include quantifying the known soniferous fish species to better understand taxonomic and geographic distribution patterns; developing inexpensive, novel, long-term, field-based methodological and statistical tools to localize and automatically detect vocalizing species; and quantifying and modeling the effects of noise on fish ecology in natural systems. Recent bioacoustics work in my lab has focused on auditioning fish species, quantifying soundscapes, and modeling the effects of noise. We have expanded the library of known fish vocalizations by recording fishes in their natural environment, in field-based net pens, and in laboratory conditions. We have also used Passive Acoustic Monitoring to detect invasive species and to provide early warning of such invasions. Validation of fish and invertebrate sounds in the field is critical to understand soundscapes. As such we are developing ways to integrate information from visual and acoustic sources simultaneously and are using these multi-sensory techniques to quantify local soundscapes including the recently discovered sponge reefs in BC; deep-sea soundscapes as measured using underwater observatories; and characterizing the soundscape of the intertidal zone as dominated by the highly vocal plainfin midshipman. We have completed the first global meta-analyses revealing evidence of strong negative effects on behaviour and physiology of fish and invertebrates.