Some reef-dwelling fish are twice as likely to get gobbled up by predators in the presence of a noisy motorboat, according to a study released Friday.
The research, published in Nature Communications, adds to a growing body of evidence that noise pollution -- on land and in the water -- is a serious menace for wildlife.
Many mammals, birds and other animals use sound to locate food, avoid predators, navigate their environment, and even select a mate.
But all of these life-essential functions can be disrupted by noise from ships and sonar probes in the sea, motor vehicles and industry on land, or airplanes.
Sometimes the results are lethal.
The new study shows that when damselfish -- a family of several hundred species found mostly in the tropics -- become stressed by a motorboat overhead, their ability to evade predators is compromised.
The likely hunter in this case is the dusky dottyback, which likes to snack on young damselfish that have recently moved to reefs from the open sea, where they hatch.
Scientists led by Stephen Simpson of the University of Exeter conducted experiments in the lab and in the wild. Whether the noise came from a recording or a real boat, the outcome was the same. (AFP)
PHOTO: Research shows that reef-dwelling fish, like these swimming through the coral on Australia's Great Barrier Reef, are twice as likely to get eaten by predators in the presence of noisy motorboats.
CREDIT: AFP Photo/William West.