Deep Sea Fish: How Noise Affects Their Behavior

The ocean floor is home to many fish species. Some live in very deep waters. A recent experiment looked at how these deep-sea fish react to loud noises. This was done along the eastern coast of Canada. The noise came from a commercial seismic survey. It lasted for 100 days straight. The survey used powerful sound waves to map the seafloor. This is important for finding oil and gas. But, it also creates a lot of noise. Scientists wanted to see if this noise affected the fish. They used cameras to watch the fish before and after the noise started. The cameras were placed in two spots: one where the noise was loud and one where it was quiet. They recorded over 300 hours of video. Five types of fish were seen often. The noise did not seem to change how many fish there were. However, one type of fish, the Atlantic cod, did change its behavior. After the noise started, these fish took longer to find the bait. They also took longer to eat it. This happened when the noise was very loud, over 120 decibels.The study shows that loud noises can change how fish behave. This is important to know. It helps scientists understand how human activities affect ocean life. However, it is not clear if the fish were scared or just confused by the noise. More research is needed to find out. Also, the study only looked at a few types of fish. There are many more species in the deep sea. They might react differently to noise. So, it is important to keep studying this topic. The ocean is a big place. There is still so much to learn about it.