Pile-Driving Noise Impairs Antipredator Behavior of the European Sea Bass Dicentrarchus labrax.

In an increasingly industrialized world, man-made noise is changing the underwater acoustic environment. The effects of anthropogenic noise on marine ecosystems are not yet fully understood despite important implications for science and policy, in particular with respect to investment in offshore renewable energy. In this study, a traditional looming-stimulus experimental setup was used to investigate the acute effects of pile-driving noise on the antipredator response of European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax). Playback of pile-driving noise was found to impair significantly the startle response of individuals, which potentially translates to an increased likelihood of being captured by predators in natural conditions.