Temporal patterns in the soundscape of the shallow waters of a Mediterranean marine protected area
Buscaino, G.; Ceraulo, M.; Pieretti, N.; Corrias, V.; Farina, A.; Filiciotto, F.; Maccarrone, V.; Grammauta, R.; Caruso, F.; Giuseppe, A.; Mazzola, S. (2016). Temporal patterns in the soundscape of the shallow waters of a Mediterranean marine protected area. NPG Scientific Reports 6(34230): 11 pp. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/srep34230 In: Scientific Reports (Nature Publishing Group). Nature Publishing Group: London. ISSN 2045-2322; e-ISSN 2045-2322, more |   |
| Authors | | Top | - Buscaino, G.
- Ceraulo, M.
- Pieretti, N.
- Corrias, V.
| - Farina, A.
- Filiciotto, F.
- Maccarrone, V.
- Grammauta, R.
| - Caruso, F.
- Giuseppe, A.
- Mazzola, S., more
|
| Abstract | The study of marine soundscapes is an emerging field of research that contributes important information about biological compositions and environmental conditions. The seasonal and circadian soundscape trends of a marine protected area (MPA) in the Mediterranean Sea have been studied for one year using an autonomous acoustic recorder. Frequencies less than 1 kHz are dominated by noise generated by waves and are louder during the winter; conversely, higher frequencies (4–96 kHz) are dominated by snapping shrimp, which increase their acoustic activity at night during the summer. Fish choruses, below 2 kHz, characterize the soundscape at sunset during the summer. Because there are 13 vessel passages per hour on average, causing acoustic interference with fish choruses 46% of the time, this MPA cannot be considered to be protected from noise. On the basis of the high seasonal variability of the soundscape components, this study proposes a one-year acoustic monitoring protocol using the soundscape methodology approach and discusses the concept of MPA size. |
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