Institute of Marine Research, Ecosystem Acoustics Group, Austevoll Research Station, Sauganeset 16, N-5392, Storebø, Norway.
Institute of Marine Research, Ecosystem Acoustics Group, Nordnesgaten 50, 5005, Bergen, Norway.
Commun Biol. 2023 Apr 12;6(1):353. doi: 10.1038/s42003-023-04728-y.
The number and size of offshore wind (OW) turbines is increasing rapidly. OW turbines produce continuous, low-frequency noise that could impact marine fish dispersing/migrating through the facilities. Any such impact would be relevant for larval stages, which have limited possibility to swim away from OW facilities. If directional movement of fish larvae at sea is impacted by low-frequency continuous sound is unknown. We observe the behavior of Atlantic cod larvae (N = 89) in response to low-frequency sound while they are drifting in a Norwegian fjord inside transparent drifting chambers. We transmit 100 Hz continuous sound in the fjord, in the intensity range of OW turbines' operational noise, and measure the sound pressure and 3-D particle motion. Half of the larvae (N = 45) are exposed to low-frequency (100 Hz) continuous sound, while the other half (N = 44) are observed under the same conditions but without the sound. Exposure does not affect the routine and maximum swimming speeds or the turning behavior of the larvae. Control larvae orient to the northwest. In contrast, exposed larvae orient towards the source of low-frequency sound and particle motion. This provides a basis to assess how OW might impact dispersal in this species.
海上风力涡轮机的数量和规模正在迅速增加。海上风力涡轮机会产生连续的低频噪声，这可能会影响到通过这些设施进行扩散/洄游的海洋鱼类。对于游动能力有限的幼鱼阶段，这种影响是相关的。如果鱼类幼体在海上的定向游动受到低频连续声音的影响，目前还不得而知。我们观察了大西洋鳕鱼幼鱼（N=89）在挪威峡湾内透明漂流室内漂流时对低频声音的反应。我们在峡湾内传输 100Hz 的连续声音，其强度范围与海上风力涡轮机的运行噪声相当，并测量声压和 3D 粒子运动。一半的幼鱼（N=45）暴露在低频（100Hz）连续声音下，而另一半（N=44）在相同条件下观察，但没有声音。暴露不会影响幼鱼的常规游动速度和最大游动速度，或转向行为。对照幼鱼向西北方向定向。相比之下，暴露在声音和粒子运动源下的幼鱼则向声源方向定向。这为评估海上风力发电如何影响该物种的扩散提供了依据。
