ME5205 SoundWaves Technical Report Understanding the Scale and Impacts of Anthropogenic Noise upon Fish and Invertebrates in the Marine Environment Ilaria Spiga Sam Cheesman Anthony Hawkins Newcastle University Subacoustech Loughine Rafael Perez-Dominguez Louise Roberts David Hughes Apem University of Hull Subacoustech Mike Elliott Jeremy Nedwell Matt Bentley University of Hull Subacoustech Bournemouth University February 2012 This report can be cited as follows: Spiga, I, Cheesman, S, Hawkins, A, Perez-Dominguez, R, Roberts, L, Hughes, D, Elliott, M, Nedwell, J, Bentley, M (2012). Understanding the Scale and Impacts of Anthropogenic Noise upon Fish and Invertebrates in the Marine Environment. SoundWaves Consortium Technical Review (ME5205). The SoundWaves Consortium was supported by DEFRA under contract ME5205: Effects of underwater noise on coastal fish and crustaceans: behavioural responses in the field. Contractor organisation(s) Newcastle University Kings Gate Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU Loughine Ltd Kingcraig Blairs Aberdeen AB12 5YT Subacoustech Environmental Ltd 7 Swanwick Business Centre Bridge Road Southampton SO31 7GB Institute of Estuarine & Coastal Studies University of Hull Hull HU6 7RX Understanding the Scale and Impacts of Anthropogenic Noise upon Fish and Invertebrates in the Marine Environment 1! Effects of underwater noise on fish and invertebrates ...................................................... 4! 1.1! Introduction ................................................................................................................ 4! 2! Underwater sound ............................................................................................................. 5! 2.1! Nature of underwater sound ....................................................................................... 5! 2.2! Background levels of underwater sound ...................................................................... 6! 2.2.1! Historical perspectives .................................................................................... 6! 2.2.2! Spectral characteristics of background sound ................................................. 6! 2.3! Coastal water ambient noise ...................................................................................... 8! 2.4! Deficiencies in our knowledge .................................................................................. 11! 3! Quantities for the measurement of sound ....................................................................... 11! 3.1! Introduction .............................................................................................................. 11! 3.2! Sound Pressure Level (SPL) .................................................................................... 11! 3.3! Particle velocity Level (PVL) .................................................................................... 13! 3.4! Sound propagation ................................................................................................... 13! 3.5! Measurement of sound pressure level ..................................................................... 15! 3.6! Measurement of particle velocity .............................................................................. 16! 4! Derived sound metrics ..................................................................................................... 16! 4.1! Sound Exposure Level (SEL) ................................................................................... 16! 4.2! The dBht .................................................................................................................... 17! 4.3! Design of a generic filter .......................................................................................... 19! 5! Underwater sounds and their significance for fish and invertebrates .............................. 19! 5.1! Introduction .............................................................................................................. 19! 5.2! Sound production ..................................................................................................... 20! 5.2.1! Aquatic invertebrates ..................................................................................... 20! 5.2.2! Deficiencies in our knowledge ....................................................................... 22! 5.2.3! Fish ................................................................................................................ 22! 5.2.4! Deficiencies in our knowledge ....................................................................... 26! 5.3! Sound detection ....................................................................................................... 26! 5.3.1! Aquatic invertebrates ..................................................................................... 26! 5.3.2! Deficiencies in our knowledge ....................................................................... 28! 5.3.3! Fish ................................................................................................................ 29! 5.3.4! The fish ear ................................................................................................... 34! 5.3.5! Hearing mechanisms in fish .......................................................................... 36! 5.3.6! Directional discrimination .............................................................................. 38! 5.3.7! The lateral line ............................................................................................... 40! 5.3.8! Deficiencies in our knowledge ....................................................................... 40! 1 6! Anthropogenic sound sources ......................................................................................... 41! 6.1! Introduction .............................................................................................................. 41! 6.2! Blasting .................................................................................................................... 41! 6.3! Impact piling ............................................................................................................. 42! 6.4! Seismic airguns ........................................................................................................ 45! 6.5! Vibropiling ................................................................................................................ 48! 6.6! Wind turbine noise ................................................................................................... 50! 6.7! Dredging and aggregate abstraction ........................................................................ 51! 6.8! Shipping ................................................................................................................... 54! 6.9! Drilling ...................................................................................................................... 56! 6.10! Acoustic deterrent devices ....................................................................................... 57! 7! The effects of noise on fish and invertebrates ................................................................. 58! 7.1! Introduction .............................................................................................................. 58! 7.2! Criteria for assessing behavioural response ............................................................ 58! 7.3! Invertebrates ............................................................................................................ 60! 7.4! Deficiencies in our knowledge .................................................................................. 61! 7.5! Fish .......................................................................................................................... 62! 7.5.1! Death and Injury ............................................................................................ 63! 7.5.2! Hearing impairment ....................................................................................... 63! 7.5.3! Stress ............................................................................................................ 66! 7.5.4! Behavioural responses .................................................................................. 67! 7.5.5! Masking ......................................................................................................... 70! 7.5.6! Effects of blasting .......................................................................................... 71! 7.5.7! Effects of piling noise .................................................................................... 71! 7.5.8! Effects of seismic airguns .............................................................................. 73! 7.5.9! Effects of wind turbine noise ......................................................................... 74! 7.5.10! Effects of dredger noise ................................................................................ 75! 7.5.11! Effects of shipping noise ............................................................................... 76! 7.5.12! Effects of drilling noise .................................................................................. 78! 7.5.13! Effects of acoustic deterrent devices ............................................................. 78! 7.5.14! Effects of Naval Sonars ................................................................................. 79! 7.5.15! Overall effects