Anthropogenic Noise and Physiological Stress in Wildlife

The ecological impacts of increasing levels of anthropogenic noise in marine and freshwater systems are of growing public interest. Recent emphasis on the physiological approaches to identifying the impacts of noise has led to increased recognition that anthropogenic noise is an environmental stressor. We briefly review the research on noise-induced physiological stress. Additionally, we summarize findings from a controlled playback experiment that explored the relationship between traffic noise and physiological stress in anurans (frogs and toads), an aquatic group that relies on acoustic communication for survival and reproduction.