Presentation Title
Soundscapes of a marine community before and during Covid-19 lockdowns
Abstract
Noise from human activities in the ocean have increased by about 3.3 dB per decade. Given that many marine species rely on sound for several biologically important activities (e.g., feeding, reproduction, navigation) scientists are concern about the impact of an increasingly noisy ocean. The Covid-19 lockdowns have provided a unique opportunity to study the impact of anthropogenic noise on marine communities. This study uses data from passive acoustic monitoring in two nearby locations within the Archipelago of Chiriquí in Panama from August 2017 and 2020 to study changes in boat and biological noise levels before and during the Covid-19 lockdowns. We predict that the Covid-19 lockdowns resulted in a reduced presence of boats and an increase in biological noises. This study can provide an alternative to marine community health assessments which can improve preservation of ecosystem function.
Primary Faculty Mentor Name
Dr. Laura May-Collado
Status
Undergraduate
Student College
College of Arts and Sciences
Program/Major
Biology
Primary Research Category
Biological Sciences
Soundscapes of a marine community before and during Covid-19 lockdowns
Noise from human activities in the ocean have increased by about 3.3 dB per decade. Given that many marine species rely on sound for several biologically important activities (e.g., feeding, reproduction, navigation) scientists are concern about the impact of an increasingly noisy ocean. The Covid-19 lockdowns have provided a unique opportunity to study the impact of anthropogenic noise on marine communities. This study uses data from passive acoustic monitoring in two nearby locations within the Archipelago of Chiriquí in Panama from August 2017 and 2020 to study changes in boat and biological noise levels before and during the Covid-19 lockdowns. We predict that the Covid-19 lockdowns resulted in a reduced presence of boats and an increase in biological noises. This study can provide an alternative to marine community health assessments which can improve preservation of ecosystem function.