Friday, November 29, 2024 – 11:00am – 12:00 pm AERL Theatre and over Zoom
UBC members, alumni, and all others, RSVP REQUIRED:
https://oceans.ubc.ca/rsvp-iof-seminars/
Dr. Kieran Cox
Liber Ero & NSERC postdoctoral fellow Simon Fraser University
Fish communication in a noisy and ever-changing underwater world
| The diversity of biotic and abiotic sounds that fill marine ecosystems has become polluted by anthropogenic noise in recent decades. Yet, there is still uncertainty surrounding how different acoustic stimuli influence non-mammalian taxa and how changing ocean conditions may exacerbate the impacts of noise pollution. This constraint is due primarily to our limited understanding of how marine fish and invertebrates use sound to communicate and perceive environmental cues. This talk will cover ongoing efforts to address this disparity and integrate acoustics into the conservation of marine ecosystems. First, we will consider the geographic and taxonomic prevalence of soniferous (sound-producing) fish. We will then examine how vessel noise has transformed soundscapes throughout the North Pacific and quantify the ecological impacts of this pollutant. Finally, we’ll consider the hypothesis that habitat-mediated soundscape conservation – the ability of biogenic habitats to attenuate noise – plays an unrecognized role in mitigating the impacts of noise pollution in marine ecosystems. These projects draw on data science, field experiments, and ecological theory. The importance of this research is magnified given the absence of federal underwater noise regulations, the pending development of Canada’s Ocean Noise Strategy, and multiple nations seeking to balance industrial activities with environmental stewardship. |
