Key publications
Simpson SD, Radford AN, Nedelec SL, Ferrari MCO, Chivers DP, McCormick MI, Meekan MG (2016). Anthropogenic noise increases fish mortality by predation.
Nature Communications,
7(1).
Abstract:
Anthropogenic noise increases fish mortality by predation
AbstractNoise-generating human activities affect hearing, communication and movement in terrestrial and aquatic animals, but direct evidence for impacts on survival is rare. We examined effects of motorboat noise on post-settlement survival and physiology of a prey fish species and its performance when exposed to predators. Both playback of motorboat noise and direct disturbance by motorboats elevated metabolic rate in Ambon damselfish (Pomacentrus amboinensis), which when stressed by motorboat noise responded less often and less rapidly to simulated predatory strikes. Prey were captured more readily by their natural predator (dusky dottyback, Pseudochromis fuscus) during exposure to motorboat noise compared with ambient conditions, and more than twice as many prey were consumed by the predator in field experiments when motorboats were passing. Our study suggests that a common source of noise in the marine environment has the potential to impact fish demography, highlighting the need to include anthropogenic noise in management plans.
Abstract.
Nedelec SL, Campbell J, Radford AN, Simpson SD, Merchant ND (2016). Particle motion: the missing link in underwater acoustic ecology. Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 7(7), 836-842.
Radford AN, Lèbre L, Lecaillon G, Nedelec SL, Simpson SD (2016). Repeated exposure reduces the response to impulsive noise in European seabass.
Glob Chang Biol,
22(10), 3349-3360.
Abstract:
Repeated exposure reduces the response to impulsive noise in European seabass.
Human activities have changed the acoustic environment of many terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems around the globe. Mounting evidence indicates that the resulting anthropogenic noise can impact the behaviour and physiology of at least some species in a range of taxa. However, the majority of experimental studies have considered only immediate responses to single, relatively short-term noise events. Repeated exposure to noise could lead to a heightened or lessened response. Here, we conduct two long-term (12 week), laboratory-based exposure experiments with European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) to examine how an initial impact of different sound types potentially changes over time. Naïve fish showed elevated ventilation rates, indicating heightened stress, in response to impulsive additional noise (playbacks of recordings of pile-driving and seismic surveys), but not to a more continuous additional noise source (playbacks of recordings of ship passes). However, fish exposed to playbacks of pile-driving or seismic noise for 12 weeks no longer responded with an elevated ventilation rate to the same noise type. Fish exposed long-term to playback of pile-driving noise also no longer responded to short-term playback of seismic noise. The lessened response after repeated exposure, likely driven by increased tolerance or a change in hearing threshold, helps explain why fish that experienced 12 weeks of impulsive noise showed no differences in stress, growth or mortality compared to those reared with exposure to ambient-noise playback. Considering how responses to anthropogenic noise change with repeated exposure is important both when assessing likely fitness consequences and the need for mitigation measures.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Nedelec SL, Mills SC, Lecchini D, Nedelec B, Simpson SD, Radford AN (2016). Repeated exposure to noise increases tolerance in a coral reef fish.
Environ Pollut,
216, 428-436.
Abstract:
Repeated exposure to noise increases tolerance in a coral reef fish.
Some anthropogenic noise is now considered pollution, with evidence building that noise from human activities such as transportation, construction and exploration can impact behaviour and physiology in a broad range of taxa. However, relatively little research has considered the effects of repeated or chronic noise; extended exposures may result in habituation or sensitisation, and thus changes in response. We conducted a field-based experiment at Moorea Island to investigate how repeated exposure to playback of motorboat noise affected a coral reef fish (Dascyllus trimaculatus). We found that juvenile D. trimaculatus increased hiding behaviour during motorboat noise after two days of repeated exposure, but no longer did so after one and two weeks of exposure. We also found that naïve individuals responded to playback of motorboat noise with elevated ventilation rates, but that this response was diminished after one and two weeks of repeated exposure. We found no strong evidence that baseline blood cortisol levels, growth or body condition were affected by three weeks of repeated motorboat-noise playback. Our study reveals the importance of considering how tolerance levels may change over time, rather than simply extrapolating from results of short-term studies, if we are to make decisions about regulation and mitigation.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Nedelec SL, Simpson SD, Morley EL, Nedelec B, Radford AN (2015). Impacts of predictable and unpredictable noise on the behaviour, growth and condition of larval Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua). Proceedings of the Royal Society B
Nedelec S, Radford AN, Simpson SD, Nedelec B, Lecchini D, Mills SC (2014). Anthropogenic noise playback impairs embryonic development and increases mortality in a marine invertebrate. Nature Scientific Reports, 4
Publications by category
Journal articles
Gordon T, Simpson S, McCloskey K, Nedelec S (In Press). Acoustic enrichment can enhance fish community development on degraded coral-reef habitat. Nature Communications
Nedelec SL, Radford AN, Pearl L, Nedelec B, McCormick MI, Meekan MG, Simpson SD (In Press). Motorboat noise impacts parental behaviour. and offspring survival in a reef fish. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
Nedelec SL, Radford AN, Gatenby P, Davidson IK, Velasquez Jimenez L, Travis M, Chapman KE, McCloskey KP, Lamont TAC, Illing B, et al (2022). Limiting motorboat noise on coral reefs boosts fish reproductive success. Nature Communications, 13(1).
Parsons MJG, Lin T-H, Mooney TA, Erbe C, Juanes F, Lammers M, Li S, Linke S, Looby A, Nedelec SL, et al (2022). Sounding the Call for a Global Library of Underwater Biological Sounds. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 10
Mills SC, Beldade R, Henry L, Laverty D, Nedelec SL, Simpson SD, Radford AN (2020). Hormonal and behavioural effects of motorboat noise on wild coral reef fish.
Environmental Pollution,
262Abstract:
Hormonal and behavioural effects of motorboat noise on wild coral reef fish
We compared both short- and longer-term exposure on the behavioural, glucocorticoid and androgen responses of free-living anemonefish, and demonstrated that androgen/glucocorticoid pathways are the plausible proximate mechanisms driving behavioural responses to anthropogenic noise.
Abstract.
Mooney TA, Di Iorio L, Lammers M, Lin TH, Nedelec SL, Parsons M, Radford C, Urban E, Stanley J (2020). Listening forward: Approaching marine biodiversity assessments using acoustic methods: Acoustic diversity and biodiversity.
Royal Society Open Science,
7(8).
Abstract:
Listening forward: Approaching marine biodiversity assessments using acoustic methods: Acoustic diversity and biodiversity
Ecosystems and the communities they support are changing at alarmingly rapid rates. Tracking species diversity is vital to managing these stressed habitats. Yet, quantifying and monitoring biodiversity is often challenging, especially in ocean habitats. Given that many animals make sounds, these cues travel efficiently under water, and emerging technologies are increasingly cost-effective, passive acoustics (a long-standing ocean observation method) is now a potential means of quantifying and monitoring marine biodiversity. Properly applying acoustics for biodiversity assessments is vital. Our goal here is to provide a timely consideration of emerging methods using passive acoustics to measure marine biodiversity. We provide a summary of the brief history of using passive acoustics to assess marine biodiversity and community structure, a critical assessment of the challenges faced, and outline recommended practices and considerations for acoustic biodiversity measurements. We focused on temperate and tropical seas, where much of the acoustic biodiversity work has been conducted. Overall, we suggest a cautious approach to applying current acoustic indices to assess marine biodiversity. Key needs are preliminary data and sampling sufficiently to capture the patterns and variability of a habitat. Yet with new analytical tools including source separation and supervised machine learning, there is substantial promise in marine acoustic diversity assessment methods.
Abstract.
McCormick MI, Fakan EP, Nedelec SL, Allan BJM (2019). Effects of boat noise on fish fast-start escape response depend on engine type.
Scientific Reports,
9(1).
Abstract:
Effects of boat noise on fish fast-start escape response depend on engine type
Vessel noise represents a relatively recent but rapidly increasing form of pollution, which affects the many organisms that use sound to inform their behavioural decisions. Recent research shows that anthropogenic noise can lead to reduced responsiveness to risk and higher mortality. The current laboratory experiment determined whether the playback of noise from motorboats powered by two- or four-stroke outboard engines affected the kinematics of the fast-start response in a juvenile coral reef fish, and the time scale over which the effects may occur. Results show that the two engine types produce slightly different sound spectra, which influence fish differently. Playback of 2-stroke engines had the greatest effect on activity, but only for a brief period (45 s). While noise from 4-stroke outboard engines affected fast-start kinematics, they had half the impact of noise from 2-stroke engines. Two-stroke engine noise affected routine swimming more than 4-stroke engines, while 4-stroke noise had a greater effect on the speed at which fish responded to a startle. Evidence suggests that the source of the noise pollution will have a major influence on the way marine organisms will respond, and this gives managers an important tool whereby they may reduce the effects of noise pollution on protected communities.
Abstract.
Gordon TAC, Harding HR, Clever FK, Davidson IK, Davison W, Montgomery DW, Weatherhead RC, Windsor FM, Armstrong JD, Bardonnet A, et al (2018). Fishes in a changing world: learning from the past to promote sustainability of fish populations.
J Fish Biol,
92(3), 804-827.
Abstract:
Fishes in a changing world: learning from the past to promote sustainability of fish populations.
Populations of fishes provide valuable services for billions of people, but face diverse and interacting threats that jeopardize their sustainability. Human population growth and intensifying resource use for food, water, energy and goods are compromising fish populations through a variety of mechanisms, including overfishing, habitat degradation and declines in water quality. The important challenges raised by these issues have been recognized and have led to considerable advances over past decades in managing and mitigating threats to fishes worldwide. In this review, we identify the major threats faced by fish populations alongside recent advances that are helping to address these issues. There are very significant efforts worldwide directed towards ensuring a sustainable future for the world's fishes and fisheries and those who rely on them. Although considerable challenges remain, by drawing attention to successful mitigation of threats to fish and fisheries we hope to provide the encouragement and direction that will allow these challenges to be overcome in the future.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Ferrari MCO, McCormick MI, Meekan MG, Simpson SD, Nedelec SL, Chivers DP (2018). School is out on noisy reefs: the effect of boat noise on predator learning and survival of juvenile coral reef fishes.
Proc Biol Sci,
285(1871).
Abstract:
School is out on noisy reefs: the effect of boat noise on predator learning and survival of juvenile coral reef fishes.
Noise produced by anthropogenic activities is increasing in many marine ecosystems. We investigated the effect of playback of boat noise on fish cognition. We focused on noise from small motorboats, since its occurrence can dominate soundscapes in coastal communities, the number of noise-producing vessels is increasing rapidly and their proximity to marine life has the potential to cause deleterious effects. Cognition-or the ability of individuals to learn and remember information-is crucial, given that most species rely on learning to achieve fitness-promoting tasks, such as finding food, choosing mates and recognizing predators. The caveat with cognition is its latent effect: the individual that fails to learn an important piece of information will live normally until the moment where it needs the information to make a fitness-related decision. Such latent effects can easily be overlooked by traditional risk assessment methods. Here, we conducted three experiments to assess the effect of boat noise playbacks on the ability of fish to learn to recognize predation threats, using a common, conserved learning paradigm. We found that fish that were trained to recognize a novel predator while being exposed to 'reef + boat noise' playbacks failed to subsequently respond to the predator, while their 'reef noise' counterparts responded appropriately. We repeated the training, giving the fish three opportunities to learn three common reef predators, and released the fish in the wild. Those trained in the presence of 'reef + boat noise' playbacks survived 40% less than the 'reef noise' controls over our 72 h monitoring period, a performance equal to that of predator-naive fish. Our last experiment indicated that these results were likely due to failed learning, as opposed to stress effects from the sound exposure. Neither playbacks nor real boat noise affected survival in the absence of predator training. Our results indicate that boat noise has the potential to cause latent effects on learning long after the stressor has gone.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Gaston KJ, Davies TW, Nedelec SL, Holt LA (2017). Impacts of Artificial Light at Night on Biological Timings.
Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics,
48, 49-68.
Abstract:
Impacts of Artificial Light at Night on Biological Timings
The use of artificial lighting to illuminate the night has provided substantial benefits to humankind. It has also disrupted natural daily, seasonal, and lunar light cycles as experienced by a diversity of organisms, and hence it has also altered cues for the timings of many biological activities. Here we review the evidence for impacts of artificial nighttime lighting on these timings. Although the examples are scattered, concerning a wide variety of species and environments, the breadth of such impacts is compelling. Indeed, it seems reasonable to conclude that the vast majority of impacts of artificial nighttime lighting stem from effects on biological timings. This adds support to arguments that artificial nighttime lighting has a quite pervasive and marked impact on ecological systems, that the rapid expansion in the global extent of both direct illuminance and skyglow is thus of significant concern, and that a widespread implementation of mitigation measures is required.
Abstract.
Nedelec SL, Mills SC, Radford AN, Beldade R, Simpson SD, Nedelec B, Côté IM (2017). Motorboat noise disrupts co-operative interspecific interactions.
Sci Rep,
7(1).
Abstract:
Motorboat noise disrupts co-operative interspecific interactions.
Human-made noise is contributing increasingly to ocean soundscapes. Its physical, physiological and behavioural effects on marine organisms are potentially widespread, but our understanding remains largely limited to intraspecific impacts. Here, we examine how motorboats affect an interspecific cleaning mutualism critical for coral reef fish health, abundance and diversity. We conducted in situ observations of cleaning interactions between bluestreak cleaner wrasses (Labroides dimidiatus) and their fish clients before, during and after repeated, standardised approaches with motorboats. Cleaners inspected clients for longer and were significantly less cooperative during exposure to boat noise, and while motorboat disturbance appeared to have little effect on client behaviour, as evidenced by consistency of visit rates, clientele composition, and use of cleaning incitation signals, clients did not retaliate as expected (i.e. by chasing) in response to increased cheating by cleaners. Our results are consistent with the idea of cognitive impairments due to distraction by both parties. Alternatively, cleaners might be taking advantage of distracted clients to reduce their service quality. To more fully understand the importance of these findings for conservation and management, further studies should elucidate whether the efficacy of ectoparasite removal by cleaners is affected and explore the potential for habituation to boat noise in busy areas.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Simpson SD, Radford AN, Nedelec SL, Ferrari MCO, Chivers DP, McCormick MI, Meekan MG (2016). Anthropogenic noise increases fish mortality by predation.
Nature Communications,
7(1).
Abstract:
Anthropogenic noise increases fish mortality by predation
AbstractNoise-generating human activities affect hearing, communication and movement in terrestrial and aquatic animals, but direct evidence for impacts on survival is rare. We examined effects of motorboat noise on post-settlement survival and physiology of a prey fish species and its performance when exposed to predators. Both playback of motorboat noise and direct disturbance by motorboats elevated metabolic rate in Ambon damselfish (Pomacentrus amboinensis), which when stressed by motorboat noise responded less often and less rapidly to simulated predatory strikes. Prey were captured more readily by their natural predator (dusky dottyback, Pseudochromis fuscus) during exposure to motorboat noise compared with ambient conditions, and more than twice as many prey were consumed by the predator in field experiments when motorboats were passing. Our study suggests that a common source of noise in the marine environment has the potential to impact fish demography, highlighting the need to include anthropogenic noise in management plans.
Abstract.
Nedelec SL, Campbell J, Radford AN, Simpson SD, Merchant ND (2016). Particle motion: the missing link in underwater acoustic ecology. Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 7(7), 836-842.
Radford AN, Lèbre L, Lecaillon G, Nedelec SL, Simpson SD (2016). Repeated exposure reduces the response to impulsive noise in European seabass.
Glob Chang Biol,
22(10), 3349-3360.
Abstract:
Repeated exposure reduces the response to impulsive noise in European seabass.
Human activities have changed the acoustic environment of many terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems around the globe. Mounting evidence indicates that the resulting anthropogenic noise can impact the behaviour and physiology of at least some species in a range of taxa. However, the majority of experimental studies have considered only immediate responses to single, relatively short-term noise events. Repeated exposure to noise could lead to a heightened or lessened response. Here, we conduct two long-term (12 week), laboratory-based exposure experiments with European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) to examine how an initial impact of different sound types potentially changes over time. Naïve fish showed elevated ventilation rates, indicating heightened stress, in response to impulsive additional noise (playbacks of recordings of pile-driving and seismic surveys), but not to a more continuous additional noise source (playbacks of recordings of ship passes). However, fish exposed to playbacks of pile-driving or seismic noise for 12 weeks no longer responded with an elevated ventilation rate to the same noise type. Fish exposed long-term to playback of pile-driving noise also no longer responded to short-term playback of seismic noise. The lessened response after repeated exposure, likely driven by increased tolerance or a change in hearing threshold, helps explain why fish that experienced 12 weeks of impulsive noise showed no differences in stress, growth or mortality compared to those reared with exposure to ambient-noise playback. Considering how responses to anthropogenic noise change with repeated exposure is important both when assessing likely fitness consequences and the need for mitigation measures.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Nedelec SL, Mills SC, Lecchini D, Nedelec B, Simpson SD, Radford AN (2016). Repeated exposure to noise increases tolerance in a coral reef fish.
Environ Pollut,
216, 428-436.
Abstract:
Repeated exposure to noise increases tolerance in a coral reef fish.
Some anthropogenic noise is now considered pollution, with evidence building that noise from human activities such as transportation, construction and exploration can impact behaviour and physiology in a broad range of taxa. However, relatively little research has considered the effects of repeated or chronic noise; extended exposures may result in habituation or sensitisation, and thus changes in response. We conducted a field-based experiment at Moorea Island to investigate how repeated exposure to playback of motorboat noise affected a coral reef fish (Dascyllus trimaculatus). We found that juvenile D. trimaculatus increased hiding behaviour during motorboat noise after two days of repeated exposure, but no longer did so after one and two weeks of exposure. We also found that naïve individuals responded to playback of motorboat noise with elevated ventilation rates, but that this response was diminished after one and two weeks of repeated exposure. We found no strong evidence that baseline blood cortisol levels, growth or body condition were affected by three weeks of repeated motorboat-noise playback. Our study reveals the importance of considering how tolerance levels may change over time, rather than simply extrapolating from results of short-term studies, if we are to make decisions about regulation and mitigation.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Nedelec SL, Simpson SD, Morley EL, Nedelec B, Radford AN (2015). Impacts of predictable and unpredictable noise on the behaviour, growth and condition of larval Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua). Proceedings of the Royal Society B
Nedelec SL, Simpson SD, Holderied MW, Radford AN, Lecellier G, Radford C, Lecchini D (2015). Soundscapes and living communities in coral reefs: temporal and spatial variation. Marine Ecology: Progress Series
Parmentier E, Berten L, Rigo P, Aubrun F, Nedelec SL, Simpson SD, Lecchini D (2015). The influence of various reef sounds on coral-fish larvae behaviour.
Journal of Fish Biology,
86(5), 1507-1518.
Abstract:
The influence of various reef sounds on coral-fish larvae behaviour
The swimming behaviour of coral-reef fish larvae from 20 species of 10 different families was tested under natural and artificial sound conditions. Underwater sounds from reef habitats (barrier reef, fringing reef and mangrove) as well as a white noise were broadcasted in a choice chamber experiment. Sixteen of the 20 species tested significantly reacted to at least one of the habitat playback conditions, and a range of responses was observed: fishes were (1) attracted by a single sound but repelled by none (e.g. white-banded triggerfish Rhinecanthus aculeatus was attracted by the barrier-reef sound), (2) repelled by one or more sounds but attracted by none (e.g. bridled cardinalfish Pristiapogon fraenatus was repelled by the mangrove and the bay sounds), (3) attracted by all sounds (e.g. striated surgeonfish Ctenochaetus striatus), (4) attracted and repelled by several sounds (e.g. whitetail dascyllus Dascyllus aruanus was attracted by the barrier-reef sound and repelled by the mangrove sound) and (5) not influenced by any sound (e.g. convict surgeonfish Acanthurus triostegus). Overall, these results highlight two settlement strategies: a direct selection of habitats using sound (45% of the species), or a by-default selection by avoidance of certain sound habitats (35%). These results also clearly demonstrated the need to analyse the influence of sounds at the species-specific level since congeneric and confamilial species can express different behaviours when exposed to the same sounds.
Abstract.
Nedelec S, Radford AN, Simpson SD, Nedelec B, Lecchini D, Mills SC (2014). Anthropogenic noise playback impairs embryonic development and increases mortality in a marine invertebrate. Nature Scientific Reports, 4
Lecchini D, Lecellier G, Lanyon R, Holles S, Poucet B, Duran E (2014). Variation in brain organisation of coral reef fish larvae according to life history traits. Brain, Behavior and Evolution, 83, 17-30.
Holles S, Simpson SD, Radford AN, Berten L, Lecchini D (2013). Boat noise disrupts orientation behaviour in a coral reef fish. Marine Ecology: Progress Series, 485, 295-300.
Lecchini D, Waqalevu VP, Holles S, LeRohellec M, Brié C, Simpson SD (2013). Vertical and horizontal distributions of coral reef fish larvae in open water immediately prior to reef colonization. Journal of Fish Biology
Chapters
Radford AN, Purser J, Bruintjes R, Voellmy I, Everley K, Wale M, Holles S, Simpson SD (2016). Beyond a simple effect: variable and changing responses to anthropogenic noise. In Popper AN, Hawkins A (Eds.) The Effects of Noise on Aquatic Life II, Springer New York, 901-907.
Holles S, Simpson SD, Lecchini D, Radford AN (2016). Playback experiments for noise exposure. In Popper AN, Hawkins A (Eds.) The Effects of Noise on Aquatic Life II, Springer New York, 461-466.
Simpson SD, Radford AN, Holles S, Ferrari MCO, Chivers DP, McCormick MI, Meekan MG (2016). Small boat noise impacts natural settlement behaviour of coral reef fish larvae. In Popper AN, Hawkins A (Eds.) The Effects of Noise on Aquatic Life II, Springer New York, 1041-1048.
Conferences
Dobbins P, Pace F, Voellmy I, Neves S, Nedelec S (2014). An environmental survey around the Narec offshore anemometry hub (NOAH) – a comparison between acoustic measurement instruments. the 2nd international conference and exhibition on Underwater Acoustics.
Publications by year
In Press
Gordon T, Simpson S, McCloskey K, Nedelec S (In Press). Acoustic enrichment can enhance fish community development on degraded coral-reef habitat. Nature Communications
Nedelec SL, Radford AN, Pearl L, Nedelec B, McCormick MI, Meekan MG, Simpson SD (In Press). Motorboat noise impacts parental behaviour. and offspring survival in a reef fish. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
2022
Nedelec SL, Radford AN, Gatenby P, Davidson IK, Velasquez Jimenez L, Travis M, Chapman KE, McCloskey KP, Lamont TAC, Illing B, et al (2022). Limiting motorboat noise on coral reefs boosts fish reproductive success. Nature Communications, 13(1).
Parsons MJG, Lin T-H, Mooney TA, Erbe C, Juanes F, Lammers M, Li S, Linke S, Looby A, Nedelec SL, et al (2022). Sounding the Call for a Global Library of Underwater Biological Sounds. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 10
2020
Mills SC, Beldade R, Henry L, Laverty D, Nedelec SL, Simpson SD, Radford AN (2020). Hormonal and behavioural effects of motorboat noise on wild coral reef fish.
Environmental Pollution,
262Abstract:
Hormonal and behavioural effects of motorboat noise on wild coral reef fish
We compared both short- and longer-term exposure on the behavioural, glucocorticoid and androgen responses of free-living anemonefish, and demonstrated that androgen/glucocorticoid pathways are the plausible proximate mechanisms driving behavioural responses to anthropogenic noise.
Abstract.
Mooney TA, Di Iorio L, Lammers M, Lin TH, Nedelec SL, Parsons M, Radford C, Urban E, Stanley J (2020). Listening forward: Approaching marine biodiversity assessments using acoustic methods: Acoustic diversity and biodiversity.
Royal Society Open Science,
7(8).
Abstract:
Listening forward: Approaching marine biodiversity assessments using acoustic methods: Acoustic diversity and biodiversity
Ecosystems and the communities they support are changing at alarmingly rapid rates. Tracking species diversity is vital to managing these stressed habitats. Yet, quantifying and monitoring biodiversity is often challenging, especially in ocean habitats. Given that many animals make sounds, these cues travel efficiently under water, and emerging technologies are increasingly cost-effective, passive acoustics (a long-standing ocean observation method) is now a potential means of quantifying and monitoring marine biodiversity. Properly applying acoustics for biodiversity assessments is vital. Our goal here is to provide a timely consideration of emerging methods using passive acoustics to measure marine biodiversity. We provide a summary of the brief history of using passive acoustics to assess marine biodiversity and community structure, a critical assessment of the challenges faced, and outline recommended practices and considerations for acoustic biodiversity measurements. We focused on temperate and tropical seas, where much of the acoustic biodiversity work has been conducted. Overall, we suggest a cautious approach to applying current acoustic indices to assess marine biodiversity. Key needs are preliminary data and sampling sufficiently to capture the patterns and variability of a habitat. Yet with new analytical tools including source separation and supervised machine learning, there is substantial promise in marine acoustic diversity assessment methods.
Abstract.
2019
McCormick MI, Fakan EP, Nedelec SL, Allan BJM (2019). Effects of boat noise on fish fast-start escape response depend on engine type.
Scientific Reports,
9(1).
Abstract:
Effects of boat noise on fish fast-start escape response depend on engine type
Vessel noise represents a relatively recent but rapidly increasing form of pollution, which affects the many organisms that use sound to inform their behavioural decisions. Recent research shows that anthropogenic noise can lead to reduced responsiveness to risk and higher mortality. The current laboratory experiment determined whether the playback of noise from motorboats powered by two- or four-stroke outboard engines affected the kinematics of the fast-start response in a juvenile coral reef fish, and the time scale over which the effects may occur. Results show that the two engine types produce slightly different sound spectra, which influence fish differently. Playback of 2-stroke engines had the greatest effect on activity, but only for a brief period (45 s). While noise from 4-stroke outboard engines affected fast-start kinematics, they had half the impact of noise from 2-stroke engines. Two-stroke engine noise affected routine swimming more than 4-stroke engines, while 4-stroke noise had a greater effect on the speed at which fish responded to a startle. Evidence suggests that the source of the noise pollution will have a major influence on the way marine organisms will respond, and this gives managers an important tool whereby they may reduce the effects of noise pollution on protected communities.
Abstract.
2018
Gordon TAC, Harding HR, Clever FK, Davidson IK, Davison W, Montgomery DW, Weatherhead RC, Windsor FM, Armstrong JD, Bardonnet A, et al (2018). Fishes in a changing world: learning from the past to promote sustainability of fish populations.
J Fish Biol,
92(3), 804-827.
Abstract:
Fishes in a changing world: learning from the past to promote sustainability of fish populations.
Populations of fishes provide valuable services for billions of people, but face diverse and interacting threats that jeopardize their sustainability. Human population growth and intensifying resource use for food, water, energy and goods are compromising fish populations through a variety of mechanisms, including overfishing, habitat degradation and declines in water quality. The important challenges raised by these issues have been recognized and have led to considerable advances over past decades in managing and mitigating threats to fishes worldwide. In this review, we identify the major threats faced by fish populations alongside recent advances that are helping to address these issues. There are very significant efforts worldwide directed towards ensuring a sustainable future for the world's fishes and fisheries and those who rely on them. Although considerable challenges remain, by drawing attention to successful mitigation of threats to fish and fisheries we hope to provide the encouragement and direction that will allow these challenges to be overcome in the future.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Ferrari MCO, McCormick MI, Meekan MG, Simpson SD, Nedelec SL, Chivers DP (2018). School is out on noisy reefs: the effect of boat noise on predator learning and survival of juvenile coral reef fishes.
Proc Biol Sci,
285(1871).
Abstract:
School is out on noisy reefs: the effect of boat noise on predator learning and survival of juvenile coral reef fishes.
Noise produced by anthropogenic activities is increasing in many marine ecosystems. We investigated the effect of playback of boat noise on fish cognition. We focused on noise from small motorboats, since its occurrence can dominate soundscapes in coastal communities, the number of noise-producing vessels is increasing rapidly and their proximity to marine life has the potential to cause deleterious effects. Cognition-or the ability of individuals to learn and remember information-is crucial, given that most species rely on learning to achieve fitness-promoting tasks, such as finding food, choosing mates and recognizing predators. The caveat with cognition is its latent effect: the individual that fails to learn an important piece of information will live normally until the moment where it needs the information to make a fitness-related decision. Such latent effects can easily be overlooked by traditional risk assessment methods. Here, we conducted three experiments to assess the effect of boat noise playbacks on the ability of fish to learn to recognize predation threats, using a common, conserved learning paradigm. We found that fish that were trained to recognize a novel predator while being exposed to 'reef + boat noise' playbacks failed to subsequently respond to the predator, while their 'reef noise' counterparts responded appropriately. We repeated the training, giving the fish three opportunities to learn three common reef predators, and released the fish in the wild. Those trained in the presence of 'reef + boat noise' playbacks survived 40% less than the 'reef noise' controls over our 72 h monitoring period, a performance equal to that of predator-naive fish. Our last experiment indicated that these results were likely due to failed learning, as opposed to stress effects from the sound exposure. Neither playbacks nor real boat noise affected survival in the absence of predator training. Our results indicate that boat noise has the potential to cause latent effects on learning long after the stressor has gone.
Abstract.
Author URL.
2017
Gaston KJ, Davies TW, Nedelec SL, Holt LA (2017). Impacts of Artificial Light at Night on Biological Timings.
Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics,
48, 49-68.
Abstract:
Impacts of Artificial Light at Night on Biological Timings
The use of artificial lighting to illuminate the night has provided substantial benefits to humankind. It has also disrupted natural daily, seasonal, and lunar light cycles as experienced by a diversity of organisms, and hence it has also altered cues for the timings of many biological activities. Here we review the evidence for impacts of artificial nighttime lighting on these timings. Although the examples are scattered, concerning a wide variety of species and environments, the breadth of such impacts is compelling. Indeed, it seems reasonable to conclude that the vast majority of impacts of artificial nighttime lighting stem from effects on biological timings. This adds support to arguments that artificial nighttime lighting has a quite pervasive and marked impact on ecological systems, that the rapid expansion in the global extent of both direct illuminance and skyglow is thus of significant concern, and that a widespread implementation of mitigation measures is required.
Abstract.
Nedelec SL, Mills SC, Radford AN, Beldade R, Simpson SD, Nedelec B, Côté IM (2017). Motorboat noise disrupts co-operative interspecific interactions.
Sci Rep,
7(1).
Abstract:
Motorboat noise disrupts co-operative interspecific interactions.
Human-made noise is contributing increasingly to ocean soundscapes. Its physical, physiological and behavioural effects on marine organisms are potentially widespread, but our understanding remains largely limited to intraspecific impacts. Here, we examine how motorboats affect an interspecific cleaning mutualism critical for coral reef fish health, abundance and diversity. We conducted in situ observations of cleaning interactions between bluestreak cleaner wrasses (Labroides dimidiatus) and their fish clients before, during and after repeated, standardised approaches with motorboats. Cleaners inspected clients for longer and were significantly less cooperative during exposure to boat noise, and while motorboat disturbance appeared to have little effect on client behaviour, as evidenced by consistency of visit rates, clientele composition, and use of cleaning incitation signals, clients did not retaliate as expected (i.e. by chasing) in response to increased cheating by cleaners. Our results are consistent with the idea of cognitive impairments due to distraction by both parties. Alternatively, cleaners might be taking advantage of distracted clients to reduce their service quality. To more fully understand the importance of these findings for conservation and management, further studies should elucidate whether the efficacy of ectoparasite removal by cleaners is affected and explore the potential for habituation to boat noise in busy areas.
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2016
Simpson SD, Radford AN, Nedelec SL, Ferrari MCO, Chivers DP, McCormick MI, Meekan MG (2016). Anthropogenic noise increases fish mortality by predation.
Nature Communications,
7(1).
Abstract:
Anthropogenic noise increases fish mortality by predation
AbstractNoise-generating human activities affect hearing, communication and movement in terrestrial and aquatic animals, but direct evidence for impacts on survival is rare. We examined effects of motorboat noise on post-settlement survival and physiology of a prey fish species and its performance when exposed to predators. Both playback of motorboat noise and direct disturbance by motorboats elevated metabolic rate in Ambon damselfish (Pomacentrus amboinensis), which when stressed by motorboat noise responded less often and less rapidly to simulated predatory strikes. Prey were captured more readily by their natural predator (dusky dottyback, Pseudochromis fuscus) during exposure to motorboat noise compared with ambient conditions, and more than twice as many prey were consumed by the predator in field experiments when motorboats were passing. Our study suggests that a common source of noise in the marine environment has the potential to impact fish demography, highlighting the need to include anthropogenic noise in management plans.
Abstract.
Radford AN, Purser J, Bruintjes R, Voellmy I, Everley K, Wale M, Holles S, Simpson SD (2016). Beyond a simple effect: variable and changing responses to anthropogenic noise. In Popper AN, Hawkins A (Eds.) The Effects of Noise on Aquatic Life II, Springer New York, 901-907.
Nedelec SL, Campbell J, Radford AN, Simpson SD, Merchant ND (2016). Particle motion: the missing link in underwater acoustic ecology. Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 7(7), 836-842.
Holles S, Simpson SD, Lecchini D, Radford AN (2016). Playback experiments for noise exposure. In Popper AN, Hawkins A (Eds.) The Effects of Noise on Aquatic Life II, Springer New York, 461-466.
Radford AN, Lèbre L, Lecaillon G, Nedelec SL, Simpson SD (2016). Repeated exposure reduces the response to impulsive noise in European seabass.
Glob Chang Biol,
22(10), 3349-3360.
Abstract:
Repeated exposure reduces the response to impulsive noise in European seabass.
Human activities have changed the acoustic environment of many terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems around the globe. Mounting evidence indicates that the resulting anthropogenic noise can impact the behaviour and physiology of at least some species in a range of taxa. However, the majority of experimental studies have considered only immediate responses to single, relatively short-term noise events. Repeated exposure to noise could lead to a heightened or lessened response. Here, we conduct two long-term (12 week), laboratory-based exposure experiments with European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) to examine how an initial impact of different sound types potentially changes over time. Naïve fish showed elevated ventilation rates, indicating heightened stress, in response to impulsive additional noise (playbacks of recordings of pile-driving and seismic surveys), but not to a more continuous additional noise source (playbacks of recordings of ship passes). However, fish exposed to playbacks of pile-driving or seismic noise for 12 weeks no longer responded with an elevated ventilation rate to the same noise type. Fish exposed long-term to playback of pile-driving noise also no longer responded to short-term playback of seismic noise. The lessened response after repeated exposure, likely driven by increased tolerance or a change in hearing threshold, helps explain why fish that experienced 12 weeks of impulsive noise showed no differences in stress, growth or mortality compared to those reared with exposure to ambient-noise playback. Considering how responses to anthropogenic noise change with repeated exposure is important both when assessing likely fitness consequences and the need for mitigation measures.
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Nedelec SL, Mills SC, Lecchini D, Nedelec B, Simpson SD, Radford AN (2016). Repeated exposure to noise increases tolerance in a coral reef fish.
Environ Pollut,
216, 428-436.
Abstract:
Repeated exposure to noise increases tolerance in a coral reef fish.
Some anthropogenic noise is now considered pollution, with evidence building that noise from human activities such as transportation, construction and exploration can impact behaviour and physiology in a broad range of taxa. However, relatively little research has considered the effects of repeated or chronic noise; extended exposures may result in habituation or sensitisation, and thus changes in response. We conducted a field-based experiment at Moorea Island to investigate how repeated exposure to playback of motorboat noise affected a coral reef fish (Dascyllus trimaculatus). We found that juvenile D. trimaculatus increased hiding behaviour during motorboat noise after two days of repeated exposure, but no longer did so after one and two weeks of exposure. We also found that naïve individuals responded to playback of motorboat noise with elevated ventilation rates, but that this response was diminished after one and two weeks of repeated exposure. We found no strong evidence that baseline blood cortisol levels, growth or body condition were affected by three weeks of repeated motorboat-noise playback. Our study reveals the importance of considering how tolerance levels may change over time, rather than simply extrapolating from results of short-term studies, if we are to make decisions about regulation and mitigation.
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Author URL.
Simpson SD, Radford AN, Holles S, Ferrari MCO, Chivers DP, McCormick MI, Meekan MG (2016). Small boat noise impacts natural settlement behaviour of coral reef fish larvae. In Popper AN, Hawkins A (Eds.) The Effects of Noise on Aquatic Life II, Springer New York, 1041-1048.
2015
Nedelec SL, Simpson SD, Morley EL, Nedelec B, Radford AN (2015). Impacts of predictable and unpredictable noise on the behaviour, growth and condition of larval Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua). Proceedings of the Royal Society B
Nedelec SL, Simpson SD, Holderied MW, Radford AN, Lecellier G, Radford C, Lecchini D (2015). Soundscapes and living communities in coral reefs: temporal and spatial variation. Marine Ecology: Progress Series
Parmentier E, Berten L, Rigo P, Aubrun F, Nedelec SL, Simpson SD, Lecchini D (2015). The influence of various reef sounds on coral-fish larvae behaviour.
Journal of Fish Biology,
86(5), 1507-1518.
Abstract:
The influence of various reef sounds on coral-fish larvae behaviour
The swimming behaviour of coral-reef fish larvae from 20 species of 10 different families was tested under natural and artificial sound conditions. Underwater sounds from reef habitats (barrier reef, fringing reef and mangrove) as well as a white noise were broadcasted in a choice chamber experiment. Sixteen of the 20 species tested significantly reacted to at least one of the habitat playback conditions, and a range of responses was observed: fishes were (1) attracted by a single sound but repelled by none (e.g. white-banded triggerfish Rhinecanthus aculeatus was attracted by the barrier-reef sound), (2) repelled by one or more sounds but attracted by none (e.g. bridled cardinalfish Pristiapogon fraenatus was repelled by the mangrove and the bay sounds), (3) attracted by all sounds (e.g. striated surgeonfish Ctenochaetus striatus), (4) attracted and repelled by several sounds (e.g. whitetail dascyllus Dascyllus aruanus was attracted by the barrier-reef sound and repelled by the mangrove sound) and (5) not influenced by any sound (e.g. convict surgeonfish Acanthurus triostegus). Overall, these results highlight two settlement strategies: a direct selection of habitats using sound (45% of the species), or a by-default selection by avoidance of certain sound habitats (35%). These results also clearly demonstrated the need to analyse the influence of sounds at the species-specific level since congeneric and confamilial species can express different behaviours when exposed to the same sounds.
Abstract.
2014
Dobbins P, Pace F, Voellmy I, Neves S, Nedelec S (2014). An environmental survey around the Narec offshore anemometry hub (NOAH) – a comparison between acoustic measurement instruments. the 2nd international conference and exhibition on Underwater Acoustics.
Nedelec S, Radford AN, Simpson SD, Nedelec B, Lecchini D, Mills SC (2014). Anthropogenic noise playback impairs embryonic development and increases mortality in a marine invertebrate. Nature Scientific Reports, 4
Lecchini D, Lecellier G, Lanyon R, Holles S, Poucet B, Duran E (2014). Variation in brain organisation of coral reef fish larvae according to life history traits. Brain, Behavior and Evolution, 83, 17-30.
2013
Holles S, Simpson SD, Radford AN, Berten L, Lecchini D (2013). Boat noise disrupts orientation behaviour in a coral reef fish. Marine Ecology: Progress Series, 485, 295-300.
Lecchini D, Waqalevu VP, Holles S, LeRohellec M, Brié C, Simpson SD (2013). Vertical and horizontal distributions of coral reef fish larvae in open water immediately prior to reef colonization. Journal of Fish Biology
