Marine and Freshwater Sounds Impact Invertebrate Behavior and Physiology: A Meta-Analysis

Area of Science:

• Acoustic ecology
• Marine biology
• Environmental science

Background:

• Underwater ecosystems are increasingly polluted by anthropogenic noise.
• The impact of diverse acoustic stimuli on aquatic communities remains uncertain.
• Aquatic invertebrates are understudied in soundscape ecology despite their sound detection/production capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a meta-analysis on how various sound sources influence aquatic invertebrate behavior and physiology.
• To synthesize data from existing studies to quantify these impacts.

Main Methods:

• A meta-analysis of 835 data points from 46 studies across 15 countries.
• Inclusion of 50 invertebrate species and four sound categories: anthropogenic, environmental, synthetic, and music.
• Application of meta-analytic multivariate mixed-effect models to analyze sound category impacts and taxonomic homogeneity.

Main Results:

• Anthropogenic and synthetic sounds negatively impact aquatic invertebrate behavior and physiology.
• Environmental sounds show slightly beneficial effects on invertebrate behavior.
• Defense responses were most affected behaviorally; biochemistry, genetics, and morphology were most impacted physiologically.
• Arthropods and molluscs showed the most significant physiological responses to noise pollution.

Conclusions:

• Many invertebrate species are sensitive to aquatic soundscape alterations.
• Sound sources can lead to adverse or favorable outcomes for invertebrate individuals and populations.
• Invertebrates must be included in acoustic exposure studies, ecosystem assessments, and noise pollution policies.