Anthropogenic Noise Impacts on Marine Ecosystems

Human activities at sea—ranging from commercial shipping and seismic surveys to naval sonar and coastal construction—have markedly elevated underwater sound levels over recent decades. Sound travels efficiently in water, and many marine species rely on acoustic cues for orientation, navigation, prey detection, social interaction and reproduction. Elevated noise can mask biologically important signals, provoke stress responses, alter movement and foraging patterns, and even increase mortality rates through impaired predator–prey dynamics. Chronic or intense exposures may reduce habitat quality, drive behavioural displacement, disrupt communication networks and ultimately affect population health and ecosystem function. Understanding these impacts is crucial for crafting mitigation strategies, balancing maritime development with conservation, and safeguarding global marine biodiversity.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Seminal experiments have demonstrated direct links between common noise sources and individual survival. One foundational study exposed juvenile reef fish to motorboat noise and recorded elevated metabolic rates alongside delayed anti-predator responses. Under noise exposure, prey fish reacted more slowly to simulated strikes and suffered over twice the predation in field trials. This work provides rare empirical evidence that everyday vessel noise can impair escape performance, with potential demographic consequences for fish populations and cascading effects across marine food webs.

Anthropogenic Noise Impacts on Marine Ecosystems publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in anthropogenic noise impacts on marine ecosystems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Ambient noise: The background level of sound in the marine environment, comprising natural (wind, waves, biological) and anthropogenic sources.

Auditory masking: The interference of background or competing sounds with the detection or perception of biologically relevant acoustic signals.

Echolocation: The active production of sound pulses by marine mammals (e.g. dolphins, porpoises) to locate objects and prey via returning echoes.

Particle motion: The oscillatory movement of water particles induced by sound waves, which is the primary acoustic stimulus for fishes and invertebrates.

Soundscape: The full acoustic environment of a habitat, encompassing geophysical, biological and human-generated sounds.

References

1. Anthropogenic noise increases fish mortality by predation. Nature Communications (2016).
2. Reduced shipping during COVID-19 enhanced the diurnal feeding activities of a small odontocete: implications of modern anthropogenic activities. National Science Review (2024).
3. Vessel noise prior to pile driving at offshore windfarm sites deters harbour porpoises from potential injury zones. Environmental Impact Assessment Review (2023).
4. The Effects of Ship Noise on Marine Mammals—A Review. Frontiers in Marine Science (2019).