An anthropogenic cacophony
Sound moves faster and further in water than in air. Over evolutionary time, many marine organisms have relied on key aspects of their lives for sound production, transmission, and reception. This important behavior is threatened by an increasing cacophony in the marine environment, as sounds produced by humans have become louder and louder. Duarte et al. look at the importance of biologically produced sounds and the ways in which anthropogenically produced sounds affect the marine sound image.
Science, this issue p. eaba4658
Structured summary
BACKGROUND
Sound is the sensory sign that moves furthest through the ocean and is used by marine animals, ranging from invertebrates to large whales, to interpret and explore the marine environment and to interact between and between species. Ocean-sounding landscapes are changing rapidly due to massive declines in the abundance of sound-producing animals, increase in anthropogenic noise and changing contributions from geophysical resources, such as sea ice and storms, due to climate change. As a result, the soundscape of the Anthropocene Ocean is fundamentally different from that of pre-industrial times, with anthropogenic noise adversely affecting marine life.
ADVANTAGES
We find evidence that anthropogenic noise adversely affects marine animals. Strong evidence for such effects is available for marine mammals, and some studies also have implications for fish and invertebrates, seabirds and reptiles. Vessel noise, active sonar, synthetic sounds (artificial colors and white noise) and acoustic deterrents are all found by affecting marine animals, as well as noise from energy and construction infrastructure and seismic surveys. Although there is clear evidence that noise impairs hearing ability and causes physiological and behavioral changes in marine animals, there is less confidence that anthropogenic noise increases the mortality of marine animals and the establishment of their larvae.
OUTLOOK
Anthropogenic noise is a stressor for marine animals. Therefore, we ask that it be included in the assessments of cumulative pressure on marine ecosystems. Compared to other stressors that are persistent in the environment, such as carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere or persistent organic pollutants delivered to marine ecosystems, anthropogenic noise is typically a source of pollution, the effects of which diminish rapidly once the sources are removed. word. The evidence summarized here encourages national and international policies to become more ambitious in regulating and using existing technological solutions to reduce marine noise and improve the human management of ocean soundscapes in order to maintain a healthy ocean. We offer a range of solutions that can help, supported by appropriate management and policy frameworks that can help reduce the impact on marine animals, derived from anthropogenic noise and disturbances of sound landscapes.
The illustrations from top to bottom show ocean-sounding landscapes from before the industrial revolution, which were largely composed of sounds from geological (geophony) and biological sources (biophony), with small contributions from human sources (anthropony). to the current Anthropocene oceans, where anthropogenic noise and reduced biophony due to the depleting abundance of marine animals and healthy habitats have resulted in marine animals. These consequences range from behavioral and physiological to, in extreme cases, death. As human activities in the ocean continue to increase, management options must be exercised to prevent this impact from growing under a ‘business-as-usual’ scenario and instead lead to well-managed sound landscapes in a future, healthy ocean. AUV, autonomous underwater vehicle.
ILLUSTRATION: XAVIER PITA / KAUST
“data-icon-position =” “data-hide-link-title =” 0 “>
The illustrations from top to bottom show ocean-sounding landscapes from before the industrial revolution, which were largely composed of sounds from geological (geophony) and biological sources (biophony), with small contributions from human sources (anthropony). to the current Anthropocene oceans, where anthropogenic noise and reduced biophony have resulted from the depleting abundance of marine animals and healthy habitats on marine animals. These consequences range from behavioral and physiological to, in extreme cases, death. As human activities in the ocean continue to increase, management options must be exercised to prevent this impact from growing under a ‘business-as-usual’ scenario and instead lead to well-managed sound landscapes in a future, healthy ocean. AUV, autonomous underwater vehicle.
ILLUSTRATION: XAVIER PITA / KAUST
Abstract
Oceans have become significantly noisy since the Industrial Revolution. Shipping, resource exploration, and infrastructure development have increased anthropophony (sounds generated by human activities), while biophony (sounds of biological origin) have been diminished by hunting, fishing, and habitat degradation. Climate change affects geophony (abiotic, natural sounds). Existing evidence shows that anthropophenia affects marine animals at various levels, including their behavior, physiology, and, in extreme cases, survival. This should encourage management actions to use existing solutions to reduce the noise levels in the ocean, and thus sea animals can re-establish their use of ocean noise as a central ecological feature in a healthy ocean.