High-power Sonar Did Not Harm Fish; 'Some Small Behavioral Responses'

High-power Sonar Did Not Harm Fish; 'Some Small Behavioral Responses'

Source: Underwatertimes

7/5/2007

A new University of Maryland study in the July issue of the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America reports that high powered sonar, like that used by U.S. Navy ships, did not harm test fish, including their hearing, in a controlled setting.

The research team, headed by Arthur N. Popper, biology professor at the University of Maryland and expert in fish hearing, and Michele Halvorsen, Ph.D., University of Maryland Research Associate, found that exposure to high intensity, low frequency sonar did not kill rainbow trout used for testing, nor did it damage the fishes' auditory systems, other than for a small and presumably temporary decline in hearing sensitivity.

It is a finding that Popper says "should not be extrapolated to other fish species or the effects of other sound sources."

Cause for Concern

There is considerable concern that human-produced (anthropogenic) sounds added to the environment could have damaging effects on marine life. While much of the interest has focused on marine mammals, such as dolphins and whales, there is growing interest in the effects of these sounds on fish.

"The effects of sound on fish could potentially include increased stress, damage to organs, the circulatory and nervous systems," says Popper. "Long-term effects may alter feeding and reproductive patterns in a way that could affect the fish population as a whole."