Marine noise may harm lobsters: study
Everyday marine noise may be as damaging to lobsters as high-intensity seismic air guns used in underwater exploration, a study has found.
Spiny lobsters from a high-traffic shipping lane near a pumping station in Hobart were compared with those from a quiet, remote area.
Lobsters from the high-noise region had suffered similar damage to those exposed to seismic air gun signals.
Dr Ryan Day, lead author of the research published in scientific journal Environmental Pollution, said the results were unexpected.
He said lobsters in the noisy area had suffered damage to their statocyst, an organ like the human ear which helps control movement.
"The impact was comparable to that in lobsters exposed to air guns," Dr Day said.
"Interestingly, their behaviour and righting reflex did not seem impaired, suggesting they had adapted to cope with their noisy environment."
The noisy site was five-to-10 decibels louder than the remote site, three-to-10 times the intensity.
Unlike the sharp signals generated by seismic air guns, industrial noises were continuous and at a lower frequency, potentially resulting in chronic exposure, Dr Day said.
Seismic air gun blasting is used to find oil and gas deposits below the seafloor and can also be used to map buried sediments.
Co-author and study leader Jayson Semmens said the potential harm aquatic noise can cause marine invertebrates was only now being understood.
"Our study did not pinpoint which particular noise sources were responsible for the damage," Professor Semmens said.
"Further research is needed to allow us to understand better the causes and mechanisms involved."
The research, led by the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, was funded by the Australian government and included scientists from Perth's Curtin University.
