Assessing and regulating the impact of sound and vibration upon fish.

Abstract

The generation of very high‐sound levels in water has the potential to change the behavior of fish and in extreme cases cause injury. Such sounds may be generated by pile driving, seismic exploration, low‐frequency sonar equipment, ships, and underwater dredging and drilling activities. Some land‐based activities like drilling, excavation work, and vibroseis may also generate sound and vibration which subsequently enters adjacent water bodies like lakes and rivers. It has become commonplace for regulatory agencies to require the impact of these sound‐making activities to be formally assessed for their impact upon aquatic animals, including fish. The procedures for carrying out these assessments vary and, in many instances, are poorly performed or subject to uncertainty. The uncertainties which come into play when impacts upon fish are assessed include lack of knowledge on the sensitivity and response of fish to sounds, the physical conditions surrounding sound generation and propagation, and the metrics t...