Effects of seismic air guns on marine fish

The effect of exposure to seismic prospecting on coral reef fishes

“…We did not observe other behavioral changes such as milling or moving to the bottom of the cage . Mauthner cell reflex (C-start reflex, Wardle et al, 2001) was observed occasionally, but it was not a consistent response among individuals or species for individual shots. In the second experiment, the field of view of one of the cameras also allowed the observation of the behavior of fishes outside the experimental cage, which departed immediately after the air gun started shooting.…”

“…Our results are consistent with previous experiments under different conditions. Wardle et al (2001) exposed marine fish to pressure levels between 210 and 218 dB (re 1 µPa ref 1 m) produced using a triple G. air gun and detected little effect on the "day-to-day" behavior of resident reef fish, despite the fact that specimens were not restricted inside field enclosures and could potentially swim away. We did not observe other behavioral changes such as milling or moving to the bottom of the cage .…”

“…After being processed, these signals are used by researchers to generate a wealth of information about the topography of the ocean floor and its underlying geological formations. Given that the use of air guns is currently the most important method of seismic prospecting (Wardle et al, 2001;Gausland, 2003), several studies have investigated the environmental impact of the use of air guns, particularly on shrimp fisheries (Andriguetto-Filho et al, 2005), marine turtles (McCauley et al, 2000), and mammals (Richardson et al, 1986;Au et al, 1997;Richardson & Wursig, 1997;Goold & Fish, 1998;Gordon et al, 1998;McCauley, 1998;Schlundt et al, 2000;McCauley & Duncan, 2001). Relatively few studies have been conducted on fish, focusing mostly on how seismic prospecting affects fish abundance (e.g.…”

A noisy spring: the impact of globally rising underwater sound levels on fish

“…However, there is also a study with direct observations on reef fish that remain close to their territories after exposure to seismic air-gun shooting [22].…”

Mitigation provisions to be implemented for marine seismic surveying in Latin America: a review based on fish and cetaceans

“…Little sound would be deflected by the body of a fish; most would travel straight through it, due to the similarity in density of the fish's body and the water. Nevertheless, to escape the disturbance, teleost fish activate motor neurons (Smith et al 2003), curving their body in a 'C' shape away from the noise source (startle response; Pearson et al 1992, Santulli et al 1999, McCauley et al 2000, Wardle et al 2001, Hassel et al 2004, Boeger et al 2006. The effects of changes in pressure (barotrauma) must also be considered for animals that attempt to flee the source of noise (Carlson 2012).…”