The Ocean Is Becoming Too Loud for Oysters

Research from the University of Adelaide reveals that human-generated noise is hindering baby oysters’ ability to use natural sounds to find habitats, affecting marine conservation efforts. Although acoustic technology helps in quieter areas, its effectiveness is reduced in noisy urban settings.

New research from the University of Adelaide indicates that baby oysters, which depend on natural acoustic cues to find suitable environments for settling, are being disrupted by noise pollution from human activities.

“The ocean’s natural sound is gradually hushing due to habitat loss, leading to a quieter natural environment increasingly drowned out by the crescendo of man-made noise pollution,” explained lead author Dr Brittany Williams, from the University’s Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories.

“Numerous marine larvae rely on natural sounds to navigate and select their dwellings, so this interference poses a problem for conservationists aiming to attract oysters to restored reefs using natural sounds.