Transformation in the Acoustics of Kelp Forests
Kelp forests, dense areas of kelp in coastal regions, play a crucial role in maintaining the balance of the ocean's soundscape and biodiversity. These underwater forests act as major carbon storage for the planet, absorbing carbon dioxide and helping to combat climate change.
The tranquil ambiance of kelp forests is a symphony of marine life sounds, with various organisms contributing to the oceanic melody. From the hums and purrs of fish to the clicks of snapping shrimp and the echolocating sounds of dolphins, each sound can be distinguished by its pitch. Lower tones often contain the noises of marine mammals and fish, while higher tones are dominated by the sounds of snapping shrimp and the clicks of echolocating dolphins.
However, human activities pose a significant threat to these delicate ecosystems. Engine noises from low-flying planes and boats can act as background noises, decreasing the distance that animals can hear and communicate. Loud human-made noises like drilling and seismic surveys can cause confusion and hearing damage in marine mammals and fish. Additionally, human activities such as deforestation and kelp harvesting can affect the distribution of animals in their respective habitats.
The removal of kelp forests can quickly remove the mitigation of sound disturbances they provide. This loss of acoustic barriers can lead to a change in the ocean soundscape, potentially disrupting communication among marine animals.
Sea urchin barrens, caused by human activity, can lead to a decrease in kelp forests and a change in biodiversity. An example of recovery in a marine protected area is an urchin barren that recovered back into a kelp forest in New Zealand over a period of 20 years. Marine protected areas can allow areas to be conserved and kelp forests to recover, promoting the health of the ocean soundscape and biodiversity.
Sound travels farther in water than either light or chemical cues and moves almost five times as fast as it does in air. This means that human activities like building docks and other structures can transfer noise from cars and docking boats into the ocean, affecting microenvironments.
As the night comes in, kelp forests transform. The sounds of daytime animals switch to the noise of nocturnal animals, with some species of fish having their noise peak at sunset and dip at sunrise. Snapping shrimp, for instance, are nocturnal, with peaks at sunset and sunrise but a decreased activity during the day.
The Plainfin Midshipman fish, a resident of kelp forests, makes a humming noise to attract a mate during late spring and summer, consistent with their mating season. Geological sounds (earthquakes and landslides) and human activity (engines and drilling) also have effects on the ocean soundscape, adding complexity to the symphony of sounds in these underwater forests.
The search results do not provide information about organisms living in seaweed-dominated marine regions or their daily and annual activity changes. Further research is needed to fully understand the intricate relationships between these organisms and their environment and to develop effective strategies for conservation.
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