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Kok ACM, Berkhout BW, Carlson NV, Evans NP, Khan N, Potvin DA, Radford AN, Sebire M, Shafiei Sabet S, Shannon G, Wascher CAF. How chronic anthropogenic noise can affect wildlife communities. Front Ecol Evol 2023. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2023.1130075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic noise is a major pollutant in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Since the industrial revolution, human activities have become increasingly noisy, leading to both acute and chronic disturbance of a wide variety of animals. Chronic noise exposure can affect animals over their lifespan, leading to changes in species interactions and likely altering communities. However, the community-level impacts of chronic noise are not well-understood, which impairs our ability for effective mitigation. In this review, we address the effects of chronic noise exposure on communities and explore possible mechanisms underlying these effects. The limited studies on this topic suggest that noise can affect communities by changing the behavior and/or physiology of species in a community, which results in direct or knock-on consequences for other species in the ecosystem. Major knowledge gaps remain due to the logistically complex and financially expensive nature of the long-term studies needed to address these questions. By identifying these gaps and suggesting approaches to answer them, we provide a road map toward mitigating the effects of a noisy world.
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Corbani TL, Martin JE, Healy SD. The Impact of Acute Loud Noise on the Behavior of Laboratory Birds. Front Vet Sci 2021; 7:607632. [PMID: 33490135 PMCID: PMC7815526 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2020.607632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Husbandry procedures and facility settings, such as low-frequency fire alarms, can produce noises in a laboratory environment that cause stress to animals used in research. However, most of the data demonstrating harmful effects that have, consequently, led to adaptations to management, have largely come from laboratory rodents with little known of the impacts on avian behavior and physiology. Here we examined whether exposure to a routine laboratory noise, a low-frequency fire alarm test, induced behavioral changes in laboratory zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata). Twenty-four breeding pairs of zebra finches were randomly selected and exposed to the low-frequency fire alarm (sounding for 10-20 s) or no noise (control) on separate test days. All birds were filmed before and after the alarm sounded and on a control day (without the alarm). The zebra finches decreased their general activity and increased stationary and social behaviors after exposure to the alarm. Brief exposure to a low-frequency alarm disrupted the birds' behavior for at least 15 min. The induction of this behavioral stress response suggests that low-frequency sound alarms in laboratory facilities have the potential to compromise the welfare of laboratory birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tayanne L. Corbani
- The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Jessica E. Martin
- The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and The Roslin Institute, The College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Susan D. Healy
- School of Biology, Harold Mitchell Building, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, United Kingdom
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Currie HAL, White PR, Leighton TG, Kemp PS. Group behavior and tolerance of Eurasian minnow (Phoxinus phoxinus) in response to tones of differing pulse repetition rate. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2020; 147:1709. [PMID: 32237844 DOI: 10.1121/10.0000910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Behavioral guidance systems are commonly used in freshwater fish conservation. The biological relevance of sound to fish and recorded responses to human-generated noise supports the viability of the use of acoustics as an effective stimulus in such technologies. Relatively little information exists on the long-term responses and recovery of fish to repeated acoustic exposures. In a controlled laboratory study, the response and tolerance of Eurasian minnow (Phoxinus phoxinus) shoals to tonal signals (150 Hz of 1 s pulse duration) differing only in temporal characteristics ("continuous," "slow," "intermediate," or "fast" pulse repetition rate) were investigated. In comparison to independent control groups, fish increased their mean group swimming speed, decreased inter-individual distance, and became more aligned in response to the onset of all four acoustic treatments. The magnitude of response, and time taken to develop a tolerance to a treatment differed according to pulse repetition rate. Groups were found to have the greatest and longest lasting response to tone sequences tested in this study when they were pulsed at an intermediate rate of 0.2 s-1. This study illustrates the importance of understanding the response of fish to acoustic signals, and will assist toward the development of longer-term effective acoustic guidance systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen A L Currie
- International Centre for Ecohydraulics Research (ICER), Boldrewood Innovation Campus, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO16 7QF, United Kingdom
| | - Paul R White
- Institute of Sound and Vibration Research (ISVR), Highfield Campus, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
| | - Timothy G Leighton
- Institute of Sound and Vibration Research (ISVR), Highfield Campus, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
| | - Paul S Kemp
- International Centre for Ecohydraulics Research (ICER), Boldrewood Innovation Campus, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO16 7QF, United Kingdom
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McCormick MI, Fakan EP, Nedelec SL, Allan BJM. Effects of boat noise on fish fast-start escape response depend on engine type. Sci Rep 2019; 9:6554. [PMID: 31024063 PMCID: PMC6484016 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-43099-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2018] [Accepted: 04/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Vessel noise represents a relatively recent but rapidly increasing form of pollution, which affects the many organisms that use sound to inform their behavioural decisions. Recent research shows that anthropogenic noise can lead to reduced responsiveness to risk and higher mortality. The current laboratory experiment determined whether the playback of noise from motorboats powered by two- or four-stroke outboard engines affected the kinematics of the fast-start response in a juvenile coral reef fish, and the time scale over which the effects may occur. Results show that the two engine types produce slightly different sound spectra, which influence fish differently. Playback of 2-stroke engines had the greatest effect on activity, but only for a brief period (45 s). While noise from 4-stroke outboard engines affected fast-start kinematics, they had half the impact of noise from 2-stroke engines. Two-stroke engine noise affected routine swimming more than 4-stroke engines, while 4-stroke noise had a greater effect on the speed at which fish responded to a startle. Evidence suggests that the source of the noise pollution will have a major influence on the way marine organisms will respond, and this gives managers an important tool whereby they may reduce the effects of noise pollution on protected communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark I McCormick
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, and Department of Marine Biology and Aquaculture, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia.
| | - Eric P Fakan
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, and Department of Marine Biology and Aquaculture, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia
| | - Sophie L Nedelec
- Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Bridie J M Allan
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, and Department of Marine Biology and Aquaculture, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia.,Department of Marine Science, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand
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Bruintjes R, Purser J, Everley KA, Mangan S, Simpson SD, Radford AN. Rapid recovery following short-term acoustic disturbance in two fish species. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2016; 3:150686. [PMID: 26909193 PMCID: PMC4736948 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.150686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2015] [Accepted: 12/21/2015] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Noise from human activities is known to impact organisms in a variety of taxa, but most experimental studies on the behavioural effects of noise have focused on examining responses associated with the period of actual exposure. Unlike most pollutants, acoustic noise is generally short-lived, usually dissipating quickly after the source is turned off or leaves the area. In a series of experiments, we use established experimental paradigms to examine how fish behaviour and physiology are affected, both during short-term (2 min) exposure to playback of recordings of anthropogenic noise sources and in the immediate aftermath of noise exposure. We considered the anti-predator response and ventilation rate of juvenile European eels (Anguilla anguilla) and ventilation rate of juvenile European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax). As previously found, additional-noise exposure decreased eel anti-predator responses, increased startle latency and increased ventilation rate relative to ambient-noise-exposed controls. Our results show for the first time that those effects quickly dissipated; eels showed rapid recovery of startle responses and startle latency, and rapid albeit incomplete recovery of ventilation rate in the 2 min after noise cessation. Seabass in both laboratory and open-water conditions showed an increased ventilation rate during playback of additional noise compared with ambient conditions. However, within 2 min of noise cessation, ventilation rate showed complete recovery to levels equivalent to ambient-exposed control individuals. Care should be taken in generalizing these rapid-recovery results, as individuals might have accrued other costs during noise exposure and other species might show different recovery times. Nonetheless, our results from two different fish species provide tentative cause for optimism with respect to recovery following short-duration noise exposure, and suggest that considering periods following noise exposures could be important for mitigation and management decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rick Bruintjes
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
- Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
- HR Wallingford, Howbery Park, Wallingford OX10 8BA, UK
- Author for correspondence: Rick Bruintjes e-mail:
| | - Julia Purser
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Kirsty A. Everley
- Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Stephanie Mangan
- Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Stephen D. Simpson
- Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Andrew N. Radford
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
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