Aiming for Progress in Understanding Underwater Noise Impact on Fish: Complementary Need for Indoor and Outdoor Studies.

Anthropogenic noise can be detrimental to aquatic life through physical harm and behavioral impact. Physical harm to fish only occurs very close to typically brief but high-power sources. Behavioral impact occurs at more moderate levels and is spatially and temporally much more widespread. More studies are needed to get a better understanding of the behavioral impact on fish. Indoor and outdoor studies vary in their acoustic and behavioral validity and in the amount of experimental control. Although each approach has its limitations, scientific progress and applied insights will depend on the exploitation of their complementary potential.