Sound production patterns of big-clawed snapping shrimp (Alpheus spp.) are influenced by time-of-day and social context

Soundscapes are multidimensional spaces that carry meaningful information for many species about the location and quality of nearby and distant resources. Because soundscapes are the sum of the acoustic signals produced by individual organisms and their interactions, they can be used as a proxy for the condition of whole ecosystems and their occupants. Ocean acidification resulting from anthropogenic CO 2 emissions is known to have profound effects on marine life. However, despite the increasingly recognized ecological importance of soundscapes, there is no empirical test of whether ocean acidification can affect biological sound production. Using field recordings obtained from three geographically separated natural CO 2 vents, we show that forecasted end-of-century ocean acidification conditions can profoundly reduce the biological sound level and frequency of snapping shrimp snaps. Snapping shrimp were among the noisiest marine organisms and the suppression of their sound production at vents was responsible for the vast majority of the soundscape alteration observed. To assess mechanisms that could account for these observations, we tested whether long-term exposure (two to three months) to elevated CO 2 induced a similar reduction in the snapping behaviour (loudness and frequency) of snapping shrimp. The results indicated that the soniferous behaviour of these animals was substantially reduced in both frequency (snaps per minute) and sound level of snaps produced. As coastal marine soundscapes are dominated by biological sounds produced by snapping shrimp, the observed suppression of this component of soundscapes could have important and possibly pervasive ecological consequences for organisms that use soundscapes as a source of information. This trend towards silence could be of particular importance for those species whose larval stages use sound for orientation towards settlement habitats.

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The agonistic vocalisations of Rattus villosissimus

Australian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1071/zo9750597 ◽

1975 ◽

Vol 23 (4) ◽

pp. 597 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

RJ Begg

Keyword(s):

Social Context ◽

Sound Production ◽

Vocal Repertoire ◽

Agonistic Behaviour ◽

Spectrographic Analysis ◽

The Social

All sounds produced by R. villosissimus during agonistic behaviour were recorded for spectrographic analysis. The social context of sound production was noted, along with any immediate overt changes in the behaviour of recipient rats. The effect of sounds on an opponent was also tested by playing prerecorded sounds to individual rats and observing their behaviour. R. villosissimus possess a large vocal repertoire. They produce five basic sounds in the audible range: squeal; squeak; tooth chattering; hissing; coughing. Squeals consist of a whole range of graded intermediates, allowing a great potential for communication. Most sounds appear to have little immediate overt effect on the behaviour of opponents. Suggestions are made as to their significance in communication.

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Context-dependent variability in blue whale acoustic behaviour

Royal Society Open Science ◽

10.1098/rsos.180241 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 5 (8) ◽

pp. 180241 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Leah A. Lewis ◽

John Calambokidis ◽

Alison K. Stimpert ◽

James Fahlbusch ◽

Ari S. Friedlaender ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Generalized Estimating Equations ◽

Sound Production ◽

Marine Species ◽

Time Of Day ◽

Profile Data ◽

Production Rates ◽

Acoustic Behaviour ◽

Northeast Pacific ◽

Blue Whales ◽

Dive Profile

Acoustic communication is an important aspect of reproductive, foraging and social behaviours for many marine species. Northeast Pacific blue whales ( Balaenoptera musculus ) produce three different call types—A, B and D calls. All may be produced as singular calls, but A and B calls also occur in phrases to form songs. To evaluate the behavioural context of singular call and phrase production in blue whales, the acoustic and dive profile data from tags deployed on individuals off southern California were assessed using generalized estimating equations. Only 22% of all deployments contained sounds attributed to the tagged animal. A larger proportion of tagged animals were female (47%) than male (13%), with 40% of unknown sex. Fifty per cent of tags deployed on males contained sounds attributed to the tagged whale, while only a few (5%) deployed on females did. Most calls were produced at shallow depths (less than 30 m). Repetitive phrasing (singing) and production of singular calls were most common during shallow, non-lunging dives, with the latter also common during surface behaviour. Higher sound production rates occurred during autumn than summer and they varied with time-of-day: singular call rates were higher at dawn and dusk, while phrase production rates were highest at dusk and night.

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Hurricane impacts on a coral reef soundscape

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0244599 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (2) ◽

pp. e0244599

Author(s):

Kayelyn R. Simmons ◽

David B. Eggleston ◽

DelWayne R. Bohnenstiehl

Keyword(s):

Coral Reef ◽

Frequency Band ◽

High Frequency ◽

Sound Production ◽

Low Frequency ◽

Benthic Habitat ◽

Diel Variation ◽

High Frequency Band ◽

Frequency Sound ◽

Snapping Shrimp

Soundscape ecology is an emerging field in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, and provides a powerful approach for assessing habitat quality and the ecological response of sound-producing species to natural and anthropogenic perturbations. Little is known of how underwater soundscapes respond during and after severe episodic disturbances, such as hurricanes. This study addresses the impacts of Hurricane Irma on the coral reef soundscape at two spur-and-groove fore-reef sites within the Florida Keys USA, using passive acoustic data collected before and during the storm at Western Dry Rocks (WDR) and before, during and after the storm at Eastern Sambo (ESB). As the storm passed, the cumulative acoustic exposure near the seabed at these sites was comparable to a small vessel operating continuously overhead for 1–2 weeks. Before the storm, sound pressure levels (SPLs) showed a distinct pattern of low frequency diel variation and increased high frequency sound during crepuscular periods. The low frequency band was partitioned in two groups representative of soniferous reef fish, whereas the high frequency band represented snapping shrimp sound production. Daily daytime patterns in low-frequency sound production largely persisted in the weeks following the hurricane. Crepuscular sound production by snapping shrimp was maintained post-hurricane with only a small shift (~1.5dB) in the level of daytime vs nighttime sound production for this high frequency band. This study suggests that on short time scales, temporal patterns in the coral reef soundscape were relatively resilient to acoustic energy exposure during the storm, as well as changes in the benthic habitat and environmental conditions resulting from hurricane damage.

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