Influence of Turbidity on the Incidence of Sound Production in Atlantic Croaker (Micropogonias undulatus) in Pamlico Sound, North Carolina

Abstract

Increased sound production by fishes, which is used for communication during mating, in territorial defense, and possibly in echolocation, has been associated with decreased light and increased temperature and salinity (Luczkovich et al. 2008; Mok and Gilmore 1983). There has not been an attempt to associate changes in sound production with other environmental factors such as turbidity. Sediment deposition and resuspension commonly occur in estuaries due to changes in current velocity and direction, water runoff, and wave height. These factors can lead to shearing on the bed surface and thus an overall increase in water column turbidity (Whitehouse et al. 2000). It has been hypothesized that increased water column turbidity will lead to increased sound production in fishes because visual cues will be impaired. The goal of this research is to associate the incidence of sound production by Micropogonias undulatus (Atlantic croaker) to variations in estuarine temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and particularly turbidity.