Noise from green energy technologies could impact fish and crustaceans

In the push for greener energy sources, coastal regions are turning to ocean-based technologies like tidal turbines and wave energy converters. These marine energy converters (MECs) are typically located in relatively shallow waters, unlike offshore wind farms. This puts them amidst busy ocean ecosystems full of fishes, marine mammals, and aquatic invertebrates.

Popper et al. presented an overview of MECs and examined how their noise might impact fishes and invertebrate communities. The effects of wind farm noise have been well documented for marine mammals, but fewer studies have focused on fishes and invertebrates, which “hear” sound differently.

“Most of these animals don’t hear by detecting sound pressure,” said author Arthur Popper. “They sense particle motion. So particle motion and vibrations in the ocean floor need to be taken into consideration when studying how MECs could affect ocean life.”

The paper, which was written for a general audience of researchers, policymakers, and industry leaders, provides an analysis and prioritization of what still needs to be understood about MECs and their impacts on ocean life. The authors hope their work will raise awareness on the issue that could help direct future device designs and policies.

“With this paper, we want to make people aware of the issue,” Popper said. “Fishes and aquatic invertebrates are really important for both the ocean and human food chains, and we need to be more concerned about how the sounds we put into the marine environment may affect these animals.”

Source: “Marine energy converters: Potential acoustic effects on fishes and aquatic invertebrates,” by Arthur N. Popper, Joseph Haxel, Garrett Staines, Shane Guan, Sophie L. Nedelec, Louise Roberts, Zhiqun D. Deng, Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (2023). The article can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1121/10.0020150 .