Cardiorespiratory Responses to Acoustic Noise in Belugas

To date, most research on the adverse effects of anthropogenic noise on marine mammals has focused on auditory and behavioral responses. Other responses have received little attention and are often ignored. In this study, the effect of acoustic noise on heart rate was examined in captive belugas. The data suggest that (1) heart rate can be used as a measure of physiological response (including stress) to noise in belugas and other cetaceans, (2) cardiac response is influenced by parameters of noise and adaptation to repeated exposure, and (3) cetacean calves are more vulnerable to the adverse effect of noise than adults.