Integrating techniques: a review of the effects of anthropogenic noise on freshwater fish

Abstract

In recent years, the effects of anthropogenic noise on freshwater fish has been of increasing interest for fishery managers due to rising levels of this background noise. While it is clear that anthropogenic noise can have important impacts on mammals and marine fish, much less is known about these effects in fresh water. The influence of anthropogenic noise on freshwater fish can be quantified using the same methods as with marine species — through measuring changes in behavioural and physiological outputs. Here, we briefly review the literature regarding behavioural and physiological impacts of noise pollution on freshwater fish and further note the lack of incorporation of both behavioural and physiological measures within current studies. We call for an increased research emphasis on possible effects of anthropogenic noise on freshwater fish and further suggest that the integration of behavioural and physiological techniques is critical for a full understanding of these effects. While freshwater fish face many stressors, it is unclear how important anthropogenic noise really is, and this issue can only be properly resolved through careful study.

Passive acoustic monitoring shows no effect of anthropogenic noise on acoustic communication in the invasive round goby (Neogobius melanostomus)

“…During some months there was a relationship between overall level and calling but the model explained very little variance in calling behaviour in July and was opposite from what has been hypothesised in other studies. While there is good evidence for noise effects in marine systems (Hawkins & Popper, ), there is much less evidence of noise effects in freshwater systems based on field studies (Desjonquères et al., ; Mickle & Higgs, ). In laboratory studies, increased noise levels can affect calling rate in other gobiid species (De Jong, Amorim, Fonseca, Fox, & Heubel, ; De Jong, Amorim, Fonseca, & Heubel, ) and noise may affect spawning success of gobiids using acoustic modalities (De Jong, Amorim, Fonseca, Fox, & Heubel, ; De Jong, Amorim, Fonseca, & Heubel, ).…”

“…Round goby spawning habits also allow us an ideal model to test the effects of anthropogenic noise on a species with less sensitive hearing than many of the species that have been tested to date. Anthropogenic noise is a known ecological stressor in many aquatic habitats (Mickle & Higgs, ; Popper & Hawkins, ) and the levels of noise continue to increase in both marine and freshwater habitats (Frisk, ; Slabbekoorn et al., ). The main driver of increases in anthropogenic noises is boat and ship noise (Frisk, ) and these have been shown to induce behavioural effects in at least some fish species (De Jong, Amorim, Fonseca, Fox, & Heubel, ; De Jong, Amorim, Fonseca, & Heubel, ; De Robertis & Handegard, ; Engås, Misund, Soldal, Horvei, & Solstad, ; Picciulin, Sebastianutto, Codarin, Farina, & Ferrero, ; Sarà et al., ).…”

“…There is also evidence that noise effects can vary based on the degree of hearing specialisations present in a species (Popper & Hawkins, ; Popper et al., ). To better understand if boat noise does have relevant impacts on freshwater and marine fish, more work needs to be done on responses of fish in field settings (Mickle & Higgs, ).…”

An overview of fish bioacoustics and the impacts of anthropogenic sounds on fishes

“…For those interested in broadening their understanding of general issues of fish bioacoustics (hearing, sound production, behaviour etc . ), there are papers in a volume by Webb et al () as well as several more recent reviews (Ladich, ; Ladich & Fay, ; Mickle & Higgs, ; Putland et al, ). More detailed reviews of potential effects of anthropogenic sound on fishes (and other aquatic animals) can be found in papers by the authors of this review (Hawkins et al, ; Hawkins & Popper, ; Popper & Hawkins, ) and in the reports of several meetings on the Effects of Noise on Aquatic Life (http://www.an-2019.org; Hawkins et al, ; Popper & Hawkins, , and the open access Proceedings of Meetings on Acoustics (http://www.go.umd.edu/UcA).…”

“…Although initial concern regarding anthropogenic sound focussed on the effects upon marine mammals (NMFS, ; NRC, ; Southall et al, ), there is now growing concern over potential effects upon those organisms that make up a much larger part of the aquatic biomass, fishes and more recently, invertebrates and zooplankton (Popper & Hawkins, ). Concern has also been expressed recently over effects upon freshwater fishes (Bolgan et al, ; Mickle & Higgs, ), since they have received far less attention in research on noise effects studies.…”