Effects of seismic sound on zooplankton
Informations
- Funding country
Norway- Acronym
- -
- URL
- -
- Start date
- 1/1/2020
- End date
- 12/31/2023
- Budget
- 1,386,579 EUR
Fundings
| Name | Role | Start | End | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marine Resources and the Environment (MARINFORSK) - call 2016 | Grant | - | - | 1,386,579 EUR |
Abstract
At what range is zooplankton affected by seismic surveys? That is the focus of this four-year research project (ZoopSeis). The sea is not as quiet as often portrayed. Natural processes, such as wind and waves, animals, and human activities, produce sounds. Many animals use natural sounds to gain information about their environment. Loud impulsive sounds may also lead to stress and even physical damage close to the sounds source. We have limited knowledge of the importance of sound for zooplankton, and published studies provide contradictory results about at what range zooplankton can be damaged by the sound from seismic surveys. Therefore, we test by what mechanism sound can damage zooplankton and how strong these forces need to be. We model at what distance from an airgun zooplankton could be damaged, and tested the results from the model in a field experiment. In addition, in laboratorium experiments, we test which mechanisms could affectzooplankton. The results will be used to provide advice on how to minimize the negative impact of seismic surveys in areas with high zooplankton concentrations.