Underwater noise from boats: measurement of its influence on the behaviour and biochemistry of the common prawn (Palaemon serratus, Pennant 1777)

This study examined the effects of recorded boat noises on the behaviour and biochemistry of the common prawn (Palaemon serratus) in laboratory settings. The experiment was carried out in a tank equipped with a video-recording system using six groups (three control and three tested) of eight common prawns (48 animals in total). After habituation for 1 h, the behaviour of the prawns was monitored for 1 h. During the last 30 min, the animals in the test groups were exposed to noise resembling a marine area with high anthropogenic acoustic pollution. The exposure to noise produced significant changes in locomotor patterns, presence inside or outside a shelter, total protein concentrations in the haemolymph and brain, DNA integrity, and the expression protein levels of HSP 27 and 70 in brain tissues, revealing a stressful effect of noise on this crustacean species. This study clearly reveals that invertebrates are likely to be susceptible to acoustic stimuli from boat's noise and that they are potential valuable targets for further and detailed investigations into the effects of the anthropogenic noise pollution.