Boat noise disrupts orientation behaviour in a coral reef fish

Abstract

Coral reef fish larvae use sound to find suitable habitat during their vital settlement stage. Yet boat noise, which can cause stress and avoidance behaviour, and may cause masking via reduction of perceptual space, is common around coral islands and continental shelf habitats due to boat activity associated with fishing, tourism and transport of passengers and cargo. In a choice chamber experiment with settlement-stage coral reef fish larvae of the species Apogon doryssa, the directional responses of larvae were tested to 5 different noise types: Reef, Reef+Boat, Ocean, Ocean+Boat and White noise. The results showed that 69% of fish swam towards Reef playback compared with only 56% during Reef+Boat playback, while 44% of fish larvae moved away from Reef+Boat playback compared to only 8% during Reef playback. Significant directional responses were not observed during White noise, Ocean noise or Ocean+Boat noise playback. Overall, this study suggests that anthropogenic noise could have a disruptive effect on the response of fish larvae to natural reef sound, with implications for settlement and population dynamics in coral reef habitats disturbed by boat traffic.

The effect of motorboat sound on Australian snapper Pagrus auratus inside and outside a marine reserve

“…There are several studies showing a range of effects of motorboat sound on marine animals (Holles, Simpson, Radford, Berten, & Lecchini, 2013; Nedelec et al., 2014; Simpson et al., 2016). For example, killer whales (Foote et al., 2006), humpback whales, (Risch, Corkeron, Ellison, & Van Parijs, 2012), and common dolphins (May‐Collado & Wartzok, 2008) have been shown to shift their call characteristics out of the frequency bands motorboat sound dominates as well as increasing sound levels (Foote, Osborne, & Hoelzel, 2004; Scheifele et al., 2005).…”

“…For example, killer whales (Foote et al., 2006), humpback whales, (Risch, Corkeron, Ellison, & Van Parijs, 2012), and common dolphins (May‐Collado & Wartzok, 2008) have been shown to shift their call characteristics out of the frequency bands motorboat sound dominates as well as increasing sound levels (Foote, Osborne, & Hoelzel, 2004; Scheifele et al., 2005). Replayed motorboat sound disrupts the orientation behavior of larval reef fish (Holles et al., 2013), which is a critical stage in replenishing fish populations, and fish recruitment and larval survival was effected by motorboat sound, where Ambon damselfish ( Pomacentrus ambionenis ) exposed to motorboat sound had an increase in oxygen consumption and were more susceptible to predators (Simpson et al., 2016). Human‐generated sound has also been shown to affect different invertebrate species, with embryonic development of the sea hare ( Stylocheilus striatus ) effected by motorboat sound exposure (Nedelec et al., 2014).…”

Coral reef soundscapes : spatiotemporal variability and links to species assemblages

“…While these sound levels were far below those which induce temporary hearing loss (Smith et al, 2004), they occurred frequently, suggesting that the exposure durations and overall energy of introduced noise might be relatively high. It has been suggested that boat noise may impact the behavior of larval fish settling on reefs (e.g., Holles et al, 2013). This might indicate that reefs exposed to boats such as these might see such impacts.…”

“…Playbacks of vessel noise in the lab raised hearing thresholds for 3 species of Mediterranean fish, particularly in the frequency range where acoustic communication takes place (Codarin et al, 2009). There is some evidence that boat noise may disrupt orientation behavior in captive larval fish (Holles et al, 2013); however, the extent to which this may occur in the wild is unknown.…”

“…Noise resulting from anthropogenic activity in and adjacent to the oceans might directly affect a range of marine taxa (reviewed in Richardson, 1995;Hildebrand, 2004;Nowacek et al, 2007;Ladich, 2013;Kunc et al, 2016). Vessel noise playbacks have been found to disrupt feeding behavior in shore crabs (Carcinus maenas) (Wale et al, 2013), orientation behavior of cardinalfish (Apogon doryssa) (Holles et al, 2013), and antipredator behavior in European eels (Anguilla anguilla) . North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) have been shown to call louder in the presence of elevated background noise (Parks et al, 2011).…”