Natural Soundscapes Research Articles

Similarity visualization of soundscapes in ecology and music

The concept of a soundscape is found in both ecology and music studies. Nature soundscapes and soundscape compositions are analyzed by both disciplines, respectively, to understand their biological diversity and ecosystem functioning and to interpret their compositional structure. A major challenge for both disciplines is visualizing the information embedded in a large variety of soundscapes and to share it with different audiences, from non-professionals to experts. To analyze soundscapes, both disciplines have independently developed similarity visualizations. However, no attempt has been made yet to combine these two fields of research to improve our ecological and musical perception of environmental sounds through shared similarity analysis methods. In this paper, we introduce a new visualization tool, the soundscape chord diagram (SCD), a circular similarity representation method that can be applied to any type of soundscape, either in ecoacoustics or electroacoustic studies. Our approach consists of visualizing spectral similarities between predefined sound segments based on the computation of a β-diversity acoustic index and on automatic clustering. SCDs were tested on two ecoacoustic forest databases and two electroacoustic soundscape compositions. SCDs were performant for the identification of specific acoustic events and highlighted known diel periods for nature soundscapes and written parts for soundscape compositions. This new visualization tool allows us to easily decipher the structure of musical and ecological acoustic data. SCDs could be applied to a large variety of soundscapes and promote their knowledge and preservation. This study opens a new way of investigating soundscapes at the interface between ecology and music, bringing together science and the arts.

The Influence of Exposure to Nature on Inpatient Hospital Stays: A Scoping Review.

To summarize the existing literature surrounding the influence of natural elements on course in hospital and to introduce clinicians to the concept of biophilic design and the potential for incorporation of nature into the hospital environment as a component of a therapeutic hospitalization. For decades, architects and designers have espoused the benefits of incorporating natural elements into the healthcare environment for therapeutic purposes. The benefits of this "biophilic" design philosophy has been investigated predominantly in long-term care or rehabilitation settings; however, some of the most appealing opportunities lie in the acute care setting. This scoping review surveyed the literature surrounding the influence of exposure to nature on course in acute hospitalizations. After screening 12,979 citations, 41 articles were included. Exposures were divided into seven categories, the most common of which were the presence of a window/natural light, a natural scene through a window, and nature soundscapes. These articles were reviewed in a narrative fashion and thematic analysis was conducted. Studies were extremely heterogeneous in their design, research questions, and reported outcomes. Types of exposure to nature studied were exposure to a real natural scene through a window, presence of a window/nature light, nature in the healthcare environment, art depicting nature, direct contact with nature, nature soundscapes, and nature experienced through virtual reality (VR). Exposure to nature during an acute hospital admission appears to have a real but small therapeutic effect, predominantly on psychological metrics like anxiety/depression, pain, and patient satisfaction. Greater beneficial effects are seen with greater durations of exposure to nature and greater degrees of immersion into nature (e.g., creating multisensory experiences using emerging technology like VR).

Deviance Detection to Natural Stimuli in Population Responses of the Brainstem of Bats.

Deviance detection describes an increase of neural response strength caused by a stimulus with a low probability of occurrence. This ubiquitous phenomenon has been reported for humans and multiple other species, from subthalamic areas to the auditory cortex. Cortical deviance detection has been well characterized by a range of studies using a variety of different stimuli, from artificial to natural, with and without a behavioral relevance. This allowed the identification of a broad variety of regularity deviations that are detected by the cortex. Moreover, subcortical deviance detection has been studied with simple stimuli that are not meaningful to the subject. Here, we aim to bridge this gap by using noninvasively recorded auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) to investigate deviance detection at population level in the lower stations of the auditory system of a highly vocal species: the bat Carollia perspicillata (of either sex). Our present approach uses behaviorally relevant vocalization stimuli that are similar to the animals' natural soundscape. We show that deviance detection in ABRs is significantly stronger for echolocation pulses than for social communication calls or artificial sounds, indicating that subthalamic deviance detection depends on the behavioral meaning of a stimulus. Additionally, complex physical sound features like frequency- and amplitude modulation affected the strength of deviance detection in the ABR. In summary, our results suggest that the brain can detect different types of deviants already in the brainstem, showing that subthalamic brain structures exhibit more advanced forms of deviance detection than previously known.

EEG responses and mental health restoration according to VR soundscape experience

This study investigates the neural correlates of restorative responses to urban and natural soundscapes, utilizing Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and Electroencephalogram (EEG) measurements. Participants were exposed to various environments through Virtual Reality (VR), and significant differences were observed in the interactions within specific regions of the Visual and Dorsal Attention Networks. In the riverside setting, the restoration group demonstrated heightened perceptual engagement and more efficient attentional control. Additionally, a significant increase in global efficiency, a measure of brain network efficiency, was observed in the restoration group during soundscape exposure. These findings contribute to our understanding of the neural processes associated with the restorative effects of soundscapes, with implications for urban health and well-being strategies.

Are acoustics enough? Semantic effects on auditory salience in natural scenes

Auditory salience is a fundamental property of a sound that allows it to grab a listener's attention regardless of their attentional state or behavioral goals. While previous research has shed light on acoustic factors influencing auditory salience, the semantic dimensions of this phenomenon have remained relatively unexplored owing both to the complexity of measuring salience in audition as well as limited focus on complex natural scenes. In this study, we examine the relationship between acoustic, contextual, and semantic attributes and their impact on the auditory salience of natural audio scenes using a dichotic listening paradigm. The experiments present acoustic scenes in forward and backward directions; the latter allows to diminish semantic effects, providing a counterpoint to the effects observed in forward scenes. The behavioral data collected from a crowd-sourced platform reveal a striking convergence in temporal salience maps for certain sound events, while marked disparities emerge in others. Our main hypothesis posits that differences in the perceptual salience of events are predominantly driven by semantic and contextual cues, particularly evident in those cases displaying substantial disparities between forward and backward presentations. Conversely, events exhibiting a high degree of alignment can largely be attributed to low-level acoustic attributes. To evaluate this hypothesis, we employ analytical techniques that combine rich low-level mappings from acoustic profiles with high-level embeddings extracted from a deep neural network. This integrated approach captures both acoustic and semantic attributes of acoustic scenes along with their temporal trajectories. The results demonstrate that perceptual salience is a careful interplay between low-level and high-level attributes that shapes which moments stand out in a natural soundscape. Furthermore, our findings underscore the important role of longer-term context as a critical component of auditory salience, enabling us to discern and adapt to temporal regularities within an acoustic scene. The experimental and model-based validation of semantic factors of salience paves the way for a complete understanding of auditory salience. Ultimately, the empirical and computational analyses have implications for developing large-scale models for auditory salience and audio analytics.

Impact of exposure to natural versus urban soundscapes on brain functional connectivity, BOLD entropy and behavior

BackgroundHumans have been moving from rural to urban environments for decades. This process may have important consequences for our health and well-being. Most previous studies have focused on visual input, and the auditory domain has been understudied so far. Therefore, we set out to investigate the influence of exposure to natural vs urban soundscapes on brain activity and behavior. MethodsResting-state fMRI data was acquired while participants (N = 35) listened to natural and urban soundscapes. Two affective questionnaires (the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) and the Perceived Stress Scale) and two cognitive tasks (dual n-back (DNB) and the backward digit-span (BDS)) were assessed before and after each soundscape condition. To quantify brain function we used complexity and network measures, namely brain entropy (BEN) and whole brain functional connectivity (FC). To study the link between brain and behavior, changes in BEN and whole brain FC were correlated to changes in cognitive performance and self-reported affect. ResultsWe found higher BEN when listening to urban sounds in posterior cingulate gyrus, cuneus and precuneus, occipital lobe/calcarine as compared to nature sounds, which was negatively correlated to (post-pre) differences in positive affect (PANAS) in the urban soundscape condition. In addition, we found higher FC between areas in the auditory, cinguloopercular, somatomotor hand and mouth networks when listening to nature as compared to urban sounds which was positively correlated to (post-pre) differences of the of the composite score of Digit span and N-back for nature soundscape. ConclusionsThis study provides a framework for the neural underpinnings of how natural versus urban soundscapes affect both whole brain FC and BEN and bear implications for the understanding of how the physical auditory environment affects brain function and subsequently observed behavior. Moreover, correlations with cognition and affect reveal the meaning that exposure to soundscapes may have on the human brain. To the best of our knowledge this is the first study to analyze BEN and whole brain FC at rest during exposure to nature and urban soundscapes and to explore their relationship to behavior.

Sensorineural hearing loss alters auditory discrimination of natural soundscapes.

The ability to discriminate natural soundscapes recorded in a temperate terrestrial biome was measured in 15 hearing-impaired (HI) listeners with bilateral, mild to severe sensorineural hearing loss and 15 normal-hearing (NH) controls. Soundscape discrimination was measured using a three-interval oddity paradigm and the method of constant stimuli. On each trial, sequences of 2-second recordings varying the habitat, season and period of the day were presented diotically at a nominal SPL of 60 or 80 dB. Discrimination scores were above chance level for both groups, but they were poorer for HI than NH listeners. On average, the scores of HI listeners were relatively well accounted for by those of NH listeners tested with stimuli spectrally-shaped to match the frequency-dependent reduction in audibility of individual HI listeners. However, the scores of HI listeners were not significantly correlated with pure-tone audiometric thresholds and age. These results indicate that the ability to discriminate natural soundscapes associated with changes in habitat, season and period of the day is disrupted but it is not abolished. The deficits of the HI listeners are partly accounted for by reduced audibility. Supra-threshold auditory deficits and individual listening strategies may also explain differences between NH and HI listeners.

Human auditory ecology: Extending hearing research to the perception of natural soundscapes by humans

A “natural soundscape” refers to the case where the contribution of acoustic events resulting from human activity can be considered as negligeable. As a consequence, natural soundscapes are only composed of biological sounds and geophysical sounds shaped by the specific way sounds propagate within the habitat under study. Within this framework, studying soundscape perception in humans aims at unveiling the relationship between the features of sound mixtures picked up at a given place and time by the peripheral auditory system of a human listener and the characteristics of the auditory percept evoked by these features. We will present a research program based on large and ecologically-valid acoustic databases recorded in protected areas aiming to (i) better understand the mechanisms involved in auditory perception of natural soundscapes; (ii) characterize and explain the effects of sensorineural hearing loss on perception of natural soundscapes; and (iii) assess the extent to which alterations in soundscape perception can be restored back to normal via hearing aids. This programme combines modelling and psychophysical methods to explore our ability to distinguish between habitat, time of day and season, to detect the presence of biological sound sources and to assess levels of biodiversity in the habitat.

Implementation of a virtual reality-based executive function improvement system for children with ADHD using natural soundscape stimuli

The aim of this study is to propose a new therapeutic approach for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) by integrating the healing elements of natural soundscapes with a virtual reality system (cave automatic virtual environment, CAVE) designed to stimulate multiple senses and enhance the functionality of individuals with ADHD. The participants, children aged 6 to 12, were selected based on the severity of their ADHD symptoms and were divided into two groups: those diagnosed with ADHD and those without. The participants were invited to partake in a CAVE/VR-based ADHD functional enhancement program, with two 40-min sessions per week over a total of 12 sessions. Biometric, cognitive, executive, and behavioral responses were measured to assess the effectiveness of the system for improving ADHD functionality. The collected data will be analyzed to identify differences in functional changes due to ADHD. Based on these findings, we expect to contribute to the development of more effective and targeted ADHD treatments in the future by better understanding the specific impacts of VR-based therapeutic interventions on the symptoms of children with ADHD.

Psychophysiological restoration effects through the experience of Gugak soundscape content

The psychophysiological restoration effects of content combining Korean natural soundscape with Gugak, traditional Korean music, were validated through a VR CAVE environment. Participants experienced the content of their choice while seated in a comfortable capsule-shaped chair over a total period of 6 weeks. Psychological responses, heart rate variability (HRV), and electroencephalogram (EEG) were measured before and after each experience, including 4 weeks after the last (10th week). Acute and chronic effects were confirmed through various correlations derived from the data related to physical parameters that depict the characteristics of the soundscape environment, subjective evaluation results of the soundscape, and physiological response measurements, as well as significant changes in psychophysiological parameters related to restoration.

Natural soundscape variation appears to influence the structure of stereotypic calls and repertoires in killer whales

Underwater soundscapes show dynamic variations in natural ambient sound levels at different locations and water depths and levels can vary over a course of a day. This soundscape dynamicity may pose a vocal challenge for highly mobile marine mammals whose habitat overlaps with many dynamic soundscapes. The most prominent communication tool of killer whales is a pulsated often multicomponent call which can be detected at more than 15 kilometers under quiet conditions. Social learning of call structure is a driver for stereotypic long lasting group- or population-specific call repertoires. Here we describe the potential vocal adaptations of killer whales to reduce the influence of sound propagation loss (PL) on their calls. Reliable propagation to identify groups and populations at considerable distances is important. In experimental field trials, the PL of killer whale calls and that of tones and sweeps was examined to determine if call component PL differs among soundscapes. PL is positively correlated with spatial and temporal ambient noise level variation. Furthermore, the use of burst pulses, a common feature of calls increased propagation distances at higher noise levels. We conclude that noise variation is one of the drivers of call structure and may also influence the call repertoire size.

Impact of ship noise on the underwater soundscape of Eclipse Sound in the northeastern Canadian Arctic

Eclipse Sound, in the northeastern Canadian Arctic, has experienced a substantial increase in ship traffic due to growing tourism and industrial development in the region. This study aims to describe the natural soundscape as well as to assess the noise levels associated with shipping. Underwater sound recordings were collected at two locations: Eastern Eclipse Sound (72° 43.730 N, 76° 13.519 W, 670 m) leading to Baffin Bay, and Milne Inlet (72° 15.260 N, 80° 34.205 W, 313 m) situated near the southwest end of Eclipse Sound. To capture the dynamic nature of the soundscape, the data from these two locations were divided into three seasons: late spring, summer, and early fall. These periods were selected to account for the changing contribution of sea ice to the soundscape during the sea ice break-up, two months of open water, and the sea ice freeze-up.By analyzing ship tracks and underwater acoustic recordings, we identified patterns of ship traffic and estimated underwater noise levels due to ships. Noise emitted by ships is quantified by vessel type, including three cargo ship types, passenger ships, pleasure craft, and icebreakers. Individual ship transits through the region introduce transient noise at frequencies from <20 Hz to >20 kHz, with durations lasting from a few minutes to >6 h. The impact of ship noise on the soundscape is significant, resulting in increases in sound levels by 15 to >30 dB when ships are within 10 km and measurable ship noise below 200 Hz at distances of >50 km.

On how natural and urban soundscapes alter brain activity during cognitive performance

Listening to natural or urban soundscapes has previously been shown to differentially modulate performance in a subsequent cognitive task. The present study inquired the effect of listening to urban (traffic and machinery noise) vs. natural (birds, water and wind) soundscapes on cognitive performance, mood, stress reactivity and the consequences for brain activity during a cognitive task assessed before and after soundscape exposure. In a randomized experiment, 30 participants were exposed to three conditions on three separate testing days: urban, natural and no soundscape. Before and after the functional MRI session participants performed a dual n-back, a backward digit span task and filled out mood, stress reactivity and aesthetic preference questionnaires. The natural soundscapes did lead to better cognitive performance however, the effect did not reach significance. Exposure to the natural soundscapes resulted in a significant decrease of negative affect and participants rated them as significantly more aesthetic. On the brain level, listening to the urban soundscape was associated with an increase in superior temporal gyrus (STG) activity during the subsequent dual n-back task. However, this result was statistically not corrected and remains exploratory in nature. This result could potentially hint at information processing becoming less efficient in early primary sensory area as a result of exposure to the urban soundscape. Correlations between affect/cognition and task related brain activity revealed clusters in the attention-network.

Improving deep learning acoustic classifiers with contextual information for wildlife monitoring

Bioacoustics, the exploration of animal vocalizations and natural soundscapes, has emerged as a valuable tool for studying species within their habitats, particularly those that are challenging to observe. This approach has broadened the horizons of biodiversity assessment and ecological research. However, monitoring wildlife with acoustic recorders produces large volumes of data that can be labor-intensive to analyze. Deep learning has recently transformed many computational disciplines by enabling the automated processing of large and complex datasets and has gained attention within the bioacoustics community. Despite the revolutionary impact of deep learning on acoustic detection and classification, attaining both high detection accuracy and low false positive rates in bioacoustics remains a significant challenge. An intriguing yet unexplored avenue for enhancing deep learning in bioacoustics involves the utilization of contextual information, such as time and location, to discern animal vocalizations within acoustic recordings. As a first case study, a multi-branch Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) was developed to classify 22 different bird songs using spectrograms as a first input, and spatial metadata as a secondary input. A comparison was made to a baseline model with only spectrogram input. A geographical prior neural network was trained, separately, to estimate the probability of a species occurring at a given location. The output of this network was combined with the baseline CNN. As a second case study, temporal data and spectrograms were used as input to a multi-branch CNN for the detection of Hainan gibbon (Nomascus hainanus) calls, the world’s rarest primate. Our findings demonstrate that adding metadata to the bird song classifier significantly improves classification performance, with the highest improvement achieved using the geographical prior model (F1-score of 87.78% compared to 61.02% for the baseline model). The multi-branch CNNs also proved efficient (F1-scores of 76.87% and 78.77%) and simpler to use than the geographical prior. In the second case study, our findings revealed a decrease in false positives by 63% (94% of the calls were detected) when the metadata was used by the multi-branch CNN, and an increase of 19% in gibbon detection. This study has uncovered an exciting new avenue for improving classifier performance in bioacoustics. The methodology described in this study can assist ecologists, wildlife management teams, and researchers in reducing the amount of time spent analyzing large acoustic datasets obtained from passive acoustic monitoring studies. Our approach can be adapted and applied to other calling species, and thus tailored to other use cases.

Effects of anthropogenic noise and natural soundscape on larval fish behavior in four estuarine species.

The larval and post-larval forms of many marine organisms, such as oysters, crabs, lobster, coral, and fish, utilize ambient acoustic cues to orient, settle, or metamorphose. In this study, the effect of anthropogenic and ambient sounds on the orientation behavior of four larval estuarine fishes was examined in a controlled, laboratory experiment. Pre-settlement size red drum Sciaenops ocellatus, southern flounder Paralichthys lethostigma, spotted seatrout Cynoscion nebulosus, and Florida blenny Chasmodes saburrae larvae were exposed to four sound treatments-control, estuarine soundscape, seismic airguns, and large-ship passage-in a linear acoustic chamber. Initial significant (p < 0.05) avoidance of airguns was observed in three of the four species (all but the Florida blenny), but habituation to this sound occurred as the experiment progressed. All species avoided ship passage sounds; however, the avoidance behavior was not significant. Interestingly, none of the species studied were significantly attracted to the acoustic cues alone of the estuarine soundscape; in fact, three of the four species spent less time near the speaker when it was broadcast. These results suggest that larval fish can potentially habituate to anthropogenic noise relatively quickly (<10 min). Understanding how sounds affect larval behavior is necessary because successful recruitment ultimately affects a population's success.

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE RENOVATION CONCEPT OF HOMORODLOK - THE SOUND OF NATURE AS VALUE OF THE LANDSCAPE

The relationship between humans and nature is in a constant state of transformation. Humans interpret nature differently, but the undeniable need for a connection with natural areas persists. The value of natural soundscapes in overcrowded and noise-polluted cities is often overlooked. The current survey and conceptual plan aim to develop proposals for the use of the Homorodlok area, taking into account its unique natural characteristics and sounds, as well as the needs of the local population. An important aspect is to showcase the mountainous landscape, highlighting its values while also presenting the impact of human activity on nature. Homorodlok is located in the northern part of Căpâlnița settlement, in Harghita county, Romania, and covers an area of 3.82 hectares. Locals use the area for various events. The diversity of land use in the outskirts of this settlement creates opportunities in some places and problems in others, making it essential to adapt the area for everyday life. The proposal aims to resolve the rural public space of Căpâlnița and strengthen the area's connection with the settlement by developing a plan that considers natural components, including changes in land use, alongside people-centered perspectives.

Anthropogenic noise decreases activity and calling behavior in wild mice

Background Animals rely on sound to mediate a myriad of daily activities, and anthropogenic noise is a pollutant that alters the natural soundscape within which they are active. As human infrastructure expands, broadband anthropogenic noise increases, which can affect behaviors of free-living nocturnal animals. Mice are nocturnal animals that produce ultrasonic calls as part of their behavioral repertoire. Methods We assessed effects of anthropogenic and natural noise on the behaviors of wild deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) and woodland jumping mice (Napaeozapus insignis), two species of mice that produce ultrasonic calls. We measured activity, foraging behavior at a foraging tray, and calling behavior to broadcasts of natural and anthropogenic noise, compared to a baseline with no broadcasting, at 25 focal areas in the Southern Appalachian Mountain Range of North Carolina, USA. Results Deer mice exposed to anthropogenic noise spent less time in focal areas with broadcasted anthropogenic noise. Mice took longer to begin foraging in the presence of anthropogenic noise, they spent less time at the foraging tray, and left fewer husks but consumed the same number of seeds as mice exposed to natural noise. Deer mice were less likely than woodland jumping mice to be the first to enter the focal area and approach food when in the presence of anthropogenic noise. Both species produced few ultrasonic calls in the presence of broadcasted natural and anthropogenic noise compared to their baseline level of calling. We present the first calls recorded from woodland jumping mice. Conclusion Anthropogenic noise affects activity, foraging behavior, and calling behavior of nocturnal mice. Natural noise also affects the calling behavior of mice. Mouse species respond differently to anthropogenic noise, with deer mice appearing more sensitive to anthropogenic noise than woodland jumping mice. Responses to noise could have important effects on the ecology of mice and these two species respond differently. Species differences should be considered when mitigating the effects of noise in conservation ecology.

Development of Social and Environmental Competences of Teachers in Training Using Sound and Visual Landscape

The soundscape was used as the basis of the research carried out by the Teaching Faculty of the Universitat de València Spain. The research focused on two aspects: (i) study the relationship between environmental sounds and emotions as a base to promote environmental awareness; and (ii) analyze the usefulness as an educational resource for the development of social and environmental competences of teachers in training. Thus, a didactic sequence was designed using 360º virtual recordings of natural and human landscapes in which participants described sound and visual elements that they associated with a range of emotions. Moreover, participants identified environmental problems and reflected on the usefulness of the sound and visual landscape in the acquisition of social and environmental competences. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used in this study and 327 teachers participated in the training. The findings show the observation of sound and visual elements can facilitate the understanding of environmental problems. The natural soundscape was associated with positive emotions, while more industrial or urban landscapes were associated with negative emotions. This can affect on people’s well-being. Moreover, the participants had a good perception of the development of their social and environmental competences, and considered that the activity promoted the transfer of knowledge and developed argumentative and critical capacities. This approach offers the opportunity to create learning environments contextualized in the landscape that facilitate the connection of scientific and artistic disciplines from an experiential perspective. It is essential to continue studying and implementing educational strategies that promote the integration of theory and practice.

Impact of anthropogenic sounds (pile driving, drilling and vessels) on the development of model species involved in marine biofouling

The uncontrolled colonization of benthic organisms on submerged surfaces, also called biofouling, causes severe damage in the shipping and aquaculture industries. Biofouling starts with a benthic biofilm composed of a complex assemblage of microbes, bacteria and benthic diatoms, called microfouling, on which macrofouling invertebrate species settle and grow. Invertebrate larvae may use natural soundscapes to orientate inshore and choose their optimal habitat. Recent studies have demonstrated that ship sounds enhance the larval settlement and growth of several invertebrate species, such as mussels, associated with biofouling. Among invertebrates, effects of sound generated by offshore human activities are still poorly studied. This study aims to assess the effect of pile driving, drilling and vessel sounds on model species associated with micro and macrofouling. First, the biofilm development of Navicula pelliculosa and Amphora coffeaeformis was assessed, then, the larval development of the blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) was evaluated from the D-veliger to the postlarval stage. Mussel larvae and microalgae were exposed 12 h each day in tanks (Larvosonic) adapted to sound experiments under controlled conditions. All anthropogenic sounds induced a thinner N. pelliculosa biofilm coupled with a lower microalgae concentration. The drilling sound had a stronger effect on the biofilm thickness. The drilling sound significantly reduced the pediveliger settlement and the postlarvae clearance rate by 70.4% and tended to diminish settler sizes compared to control sound. Contrary to our expectation, pile driving tended to enhance larval recruitment by 22% (P=0.077) and the boat sound did not stimulate larval settlements or recruitment. Drilling sound generated a stressful acoustic environment for pediveliger settlements and postlarvae seem to maintain their shell valves closed to preserve energy. We identify potential causes and mechanisms involved in these impacts of anthropophony on larval ecology and microfouling dynamics.

Pile driving and drilling underwater sounds impact the metamorphosis dynamics of Pecten maximus (L., 1758) larvae

One of the biggest challenges of the 21st century is to reduce carbon emissions and offshore wind turbines seem to be an efficient solution. However, during the installation phase, high levels of noise are emitted whose impacts remain not well known, particularly on benthic marine invertebrates displaying a bentho-planktonic life-cycle. For one century, larval settlement and subsequent recruitment has been considered as a key topic in ecology as it determines largely population renewal. Whereas several recent studies have shown that trophic pelagic but also natural soundscape cues could trigger bivalve settlement, the role of anthropogenic noise remains poorly documented. Therefore, we conducted experiments to assess potential interacting effects of diet and pile driving or drilling sounds on the great scallop (Pecten maximus) larval settlement. We demonstrate here that pile driving noise stimulates both growth and metamorphosis as well as it increases the total lipid content of competent larvae. Conversely, drilling noise reduces both survival and metamorphosis rates. For the first time, we provide evidence of noise impacts associated to MREs installation on P. maximus larvae and discuss about potential consequences on their recruitment.