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The Damaging Effects of Sound

Uploaded: 5 years ago
Contributor: olivia.mcallist
Category: Ecology
Type: Report
Rating: N/A
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Filename:   The Damaging Effects of Sound.docx (17.95 kB)
Page Count: 5
Credit Cost: 1
Views: 79
Last Download: N/A
Description
How sound pollution influences orcas.
Transcript
The Damaging Effects of Sound Advancement, especially in technology, is regarded as an indicator of a growing world. However, much of this advancement is thought of primarily from the perspective of human advantage. What tends to be forgotten are the numerous organisms that are affected by these rapid changes. Both terrestrial and aquatic organisms are negatively impacted by advancements in technology. Focusing on aquatic organisms, technology is especially harsh since it causes a great increase in noise pollution in open water. One source mentioned that according to the World Health Organization, noise pollution is considered a major global pollutant and is dangerous proof of human development (Kunc, Mclaughlin, & Schmidt, 2016). Noise pollution affects populations by interrupting communication signals, including those for mating, and disturbs the developmental process of some species. Noise pollution also threatens the lives of marine organisms. Noise Pollution Affects Communication Skills To begin, communication is a large part of interactions among members of species, especially those that are social organisms. Communication is used for maintaining territories, mating, finding food, etc. When these signals are interrupted, this can lead to negative consequences. Studies have shown that when animals come in contact with sonar frequencies, they tend to leave the audible range until the operations end (Moretti et al., 2014). However, the time from which the operations begin and end is unknown. So, if a group of organisms were foraging at that time, and the availability of food off-range was poor, then the organisms would end up losing necessary energy required for bodily processes. Acoustics and soundwaves travel at greater distances underwater than in air (O'Shea & Odell, 2008). This would mean that animals would be able to hear loud noise disturbances for tens of miles. One study concluded that humpback dolphins could sense noise from ships for thousands of meters (Liu, Dong, Lin, & Li, 2017). This same study determined that some audible frequencies overlapped with calls and whistles for some species such as the baleen whales. It also suggested that higher frequencies could be comparable to those used by toothed whales for echolocation for detecting prey and location (Liu, Dong, Lin, & Li, 2017). Because of a variety of machinery and ship specifications, the likelihood of having an overlap and impact on species, especially in terms of communication, is high. Development is Harmed by Loud and Frequent Noise Another consequence of noise pollution is on the development of marine animals. As a consequence of not meeting energy requirements, mentioned above, this could in turn affect the reproductive success of individuals, especially females. If they do not receive a proper amount of nutrients, this could impact reproductive abilities before, during, and after birth (Moretti et al., 2014). This could then reduce the survivability for the offspring or decrease the reproductive rates of the offspring. Young animals are more sensitive to sound than adults, and high frequency noise could have a long-term effect on the development of sensory organs while in a critical development period (Rossi-Santos, 2015). For example, statocysts in the ears of aquatic animals are required to maintain balance and determine the pull of gravity. However, with persistent loud noise, this organ can be damaged and the organism may no longer be able to orient itself (Kunc, Mclaughlin, & Schmidt, 2016). This could be one possible cause for cases of animal strandings. It has also been noted that vital breeding grounds for important migratory animals, such as Humpback whales (which are top predators), are in close proximity to oil and gas platforms (Rossi-Santos, 2015). The loud frequency of equipment and ships in that area could have an effect on mating calls and disturb mating process for the species. Thus, also decreasing reproductive success. In a study concerning settlement-stage coral reef fish, it was found that these fish prefer higher frequency reef noise habitats when choosing to settle. These frequencies are naturally produced by organisms in the reef, such as marine invertebrates (Simpson, Meekan, Jeffs, Montgomery, & Mccauley, 2008). An increase in anthropogenic noise would thus affect the settlement of these reef fish, altering the natural behavior at an important stage in their life. Noise Pollution Targets the Stability of Marine Ecosystems An increase in technology would also put the lives of marine species at risk. One study concluded that an increase use of air guns for commercial and military use would increase the risk of predation (O'Shea & Odell, 2008). An increase in sound pollution would cause animals to be removed from their natural habitat and would be limited to other areas that could decrease survivability. This would then affect the balance of the ecosystem since predators or prey could be removed from a system (O'Shea & Odell, 2008). Noise pollution would also affect the relationship between predator and prey. Since these animals rely on sound and vibrations, they would no longer be able to hunt or defend properly. So, a predator would not be able to detect prey effectively and the prey would not be able to determine if a predator was approaching. Another issue is that noise affects foraging abilities of aquatic animals. “When experimentally exposed to noise, fish showed increased handling errors and decreased discrimination between food and non-food items or ceased feeding, whereas shore crabs disrupted their feeding,” (Kunc, Mclaughlin, & Schmidt, 2016). This would then affect the net energy intake of the fish, which if decreased, would then decrease the survivability and reproducibility of the organism. So, the introduction of more noise would prove to be an organismal/species eliminator in aquatic environments, especially if species were already vulnerable. Marine Organisms Could Adapt to Noise Pollution On the other hand, aquatic animals may be able to adapt to this change in environment. One study mentioned the long-life expectancy of some marine mammals, such as whales, may be proof of this. Since the possibility of these mammals living at a time when noise pollution wasn’t an issue, to the intensity it is today, is an example of how it is possible to adapt to the increase in noise. However, the adaptability of groups of species over a long period is still in question (O'Shea & Odell, 2008). It could also be possible that extreme exposure to constant noise could give rise to habituation of the stressor. This could allow some organisms to become accustomed to the frequent stimulant and eventually be able to disregard the noise (Liu, Dong, Lin, & Li, 2017). In general, the rise in noise pollution in aquatic environments is a crucial issue. Water is a relatively stable environment, and with such a drastic and loud disturbance, the animals living in this environment are highly likely to be negatively affected. This impact would also indirectly affect humans as well, since humans are reliant on the fishing industry. If large populations of fish were no longer able to be caught or found, then humans would have to either find another strategy for catching the fish, or look for other forms of food sources. Noise pollution is dangerous for animals in regard to their health, development, and how they communicate. If steps are not taken to regulate this issue, then ecosystems worldwide will be effected with a permanency that is still unknown. Works Cited Kunc, H., Mclaughlin, K., & Schmidt, R. (2016). Aquatic noise pollution: Implications for individuals, populations, and ecosystems. Proceedings. Biological Sciences,283(1836), Proceedings. Biological sciences, 17 August 2016, Vol.283(1836). Liu, M., Dong, L., Lin, M., & Li, S. (2017). Broadband ship noise and its potential impacts on Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins: Implications for conservation and management. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 142(5), 2766-2775. Moretti, D., Thomas, L., Marques, T., Harwood, J., Dilley, A., Neales, B., . . . Morrissey, R. (2014). A risk function for behavioral disruption of Blainville's beaked whales (Mesoplodon densirostris) from mid-frequency active sonar. PloS One, 9(1), E85064. O'Shea, T., & Odell, D. (2008). Large-Scale Marine Ecosystem Change and the Conservation of Marine Mammals. Journal of Mammalogy, 89(3), 529-533. Rossi-Santos, M. (2015). Oil industry and noise pollution in the humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) soundscape ecology of the southwestern Atlantic breeding ground. 31(1), 184-195. Simpson, S., Meekan, M., Jeffs, A., Montgomery, J., & Mccauley, R. (2008). Settlement-stage coral reef fish prefer the higher-frequency invertebrate-generated audible component of reef noise. Animal Behaviour, 75(6), 1861-1868.

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