Stuck in a corner: Anthropogenic noise threatens narwhals in their once pristine Arctic habitat
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Stuck in a corner : Anthropogenic noise threatens narwhals in their once pristine Arctic habitat. / Tervo, Outi M.; Blackwell, Susanna B.; Ditlevsen, Susanne; Garde, Eva; Hansen, Rikke G.; Samson, Adeline L.; Conrad, Alexander S.; Heide-Jørgensen, Mads Peter.
In: Science Advances, Vol. 9, No. 30, eade0440, 2023.Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Stuck in a corner
T2 - Anthropogenic noise threatens narwhals in their once pristine Arctic habitat
AU - Tervo, Outi M.
AU - Blackwell, Susanna B.
AU - Ditlevsen, Susanne
AU - Garde, Eva
AU - Hansen, Rikke G.
AU - Samson, Adeline L.
AU - Conrad, Alexander S.
AU - Heide-Jørgensen, Mads Peter
N1 - Publisher Copyright: Copyright © 2023 The Authors, some rights reserved.
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - Niche-conservative species are especially susceptible to changes in their environment, and detecting the negative effects of new stressors in their habitats is vital for safeguarding of these species. In the Arctic, human disturbance including marine traffic and exploration of resources is increasing rapidly due to climate change–induced reduction of sea ice. Here, we show that the narwhal, Monodon monoceros, is extremely sensitive to human-made noise. Narwhals avoided deep diving (> 350 m) with simultaneous reduction of foraging and increased shallow diving activity as a response to either ship sound alone or ship sound with concurrent seismic airgun pulses. Normal behavior decreased by 50 to 75% at distances where received sound levels were below background noise. Narwhals were equally responsive to both disturbance types, hence demonstrating their acute sensitivity to ship sound. This sensitivity coupled with their special behavioral-ecological strategy including a narrow ecological niche and high site fidelity makes them thus especially vulnerable to human impacts in the Arctic.
AB - Niche-conservative species are especially susceptible to changes in their environment, and detecting the negative effects of new stressors in their habitats is vital for safeguarding of these species. In the Arctic, human disturbance including marine traffic and exploration of resources is increasing rapidly due to climate change–induced reduction of sea ice. Here, we show that the narwhal, Monodon monoceros, is extremely sensitive to human-made noise. Narwhals avoided deep diving (> 350 m) with simultaneous reduction of foraging and increased shallow diving activity as a response to either ship sound alone or ship sound with concurrent seismic airgun pulses. Normal behavior decreased by 50 to 75% at distances where received sound levels were below background noise. Narwhals were equally responsive to both disturbance types, hence demonstrating their acute sensitivity to ship sound. This sensitivity coupled with their special behavioral-ecological strategy including a narrow ecological niche and high site fidelity makes them thus especially vulnerable to human impacts in the Arctic.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85165891062&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1126/sciadv.ade0440
DO - 10.1126/sciadv.ade0440
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 37494430
AN - SCOPUS:85165891062
VL - 9
JO - Science advances
JF - Science advances
SN - 2375-2548
IS - 30
M1 - eade0440
ER -
ID: 369248057