How are invertebrates affected by underwater noise?

Underwater noise is an emergent and relatively unexplored environmental pollutant with growing concern for marine life. We know particularly little about the impacts on invertebrates such as crustaceans and mussels. The research project ShrimpNoise investigates how noise from ships and recreational boats affect key invertebrates in coastal ecosystems.

Underwater noise is a growing and relatively unexplored environmental problem. A major source is increasing commercial shipping, but recreational boating also contributes — especially along Sweden’s coast during summer, a sensitive period when many animals reproduce. We still know little about how this noise affects marine life, particularly invertebrates. Despite making up the majority of marine species, playing key roles in ecosystems and being an important fishery resource, they are rarely considered in environmental risk assessments of noise.

The aim of this research project is to investigate and better understand how key invertebrate species are affected by underwater noise from ships and motorboats. The project combines expertise in underwater acoustics and marine biology to investigate impacts on ecologically and commercially important crustacean and bivalve species. This is done by developing a novel experimental setup that enables relevant and realistic exposures to underwater noise in a highly controlled and accurate manner. The project results will provide unique and reliable dose-response relationships and threshold effect levels for negative impacts, data that is largely missing and highly needed for future environmental risk assessments and evaluation of effective mitigation measures.

The project is carried out by IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute. IVL is collaborating with Chalmers University of Technology and the University of Gothenburg.