Playback Experiments for Noise Exposure

Sophie Holles (1) , S. D. Simpson (2) , David Lecchini (3, 4) , Andrew N. Radford (1)

1 School of Biological Sciences [Bristol]
2 Biosciences
3 LabEX CORAIL - Laboratoire d'Excellence CORAIL
4 CRIOBE - Centre de recherches insulaires et observatoire de l'environnement

Playbacks are a useful tool for conducting well-controlled and replicated experiments on the effects of anthropogenic noise, particularly for repeated exposures. However, playbacks are unlikely to fully reproduce original sources of anthropogenic noise. Here we examined the sound pressure and particle acceleration of boat noise playbacks in a field experiment and reveal that although there remain recognized limitations, the signal-to-noise ratios of boat playbacks to ambient noise do not exceed those of a real boat. The experimental setup tested is therefore of value for use in experiments on the effects of repeated exposure of aquatic animals to boat noise.

Keywords: Acoustic pressure; Anthropogenic noise; Invertebrates; Particle acceleration

Domains: Ecology, environment

Sophie Holles, S. D. Simpson, David Lecchini, Andrew N. Radford. Playback Experiments for Noise Exposure. Arthur N. Popper; Anthony Hawkins The Effects of Noise on Aquatic Life II, 875, Springer, pp 461-466, 2016, Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, 978-1-4939-2980-1 (Print) 978-1-4939-2981-8 (Online). ⟨10.1007/978-1-4939-2981-8_55⟩. ⟨hal-01270660⟩