title: Vessel noise pollution as a human threat to fish: assessment of the stress response in gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata, Linnaeus 1758).
abstract: This study examined the effects of boat noise pollution on the stress indices of gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata, Linnaeus 1758). To assess the stress response in these fish, biometric values and plasma parameters such as ACTH, cortisol, glucose, lactate, haematocrit, Hsp70, total protein, cholesterol, triglycerides and osmolarity were analysed. After acclimatization of the animals, the experiment was carried out in a tank fitted with underwater speakers where the fish were exposed to sound treatments (in duplicate) consisting of: 10 days of no sound (control treatment; the animals were only exposed to the experimental tank's background noise) and 10 days of noise derived from original recordings of motor boats, including recreational boats, hydrofoil, fishing boat and ferry boat (vessel noise treatment). The exposure to noise produced significant variations in almost all the plasma parameters assessed, but no differences were observed in weights and fork lengths. A PERMANOVA analysis highlighted significantly increased values (p < 0.05) of ACTH, cortisol, glucose, lactate, haematocrit, Hsp70, cholesterol, triglycerides and osmolarity in the fish exposed to vessel noise for 10 days. This study clearly highlights that anthropogenic noise negatively affects fish, and they are valuable targets for detailed investigations into the effects of this global pollutant. Finally, these experimental studies could represent part of the science that is able to improve the quality of the policies related to management plans for maritime spaces (Marine Strategy Framework Directive 56/2008 CE) that are aimed at stemming this pollutant phenomenon.
authors.affiliation: Istituto per l'Ambiente Marino Costiero U.O. di Capo Granitola - Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via del mare no. 3, 91021, Torretta Granitola, TP, Italy.
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Celi
authors.affiliation: Istituto per l'Ambiente Marino Costiero U.O. di Capo Granitola - Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via del mare no. 3, 91021, Torretta Granitola, TP, Italy. francesco.filiciotto@cnr.it.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Filiciotto
authors.affiliation: Istituto per l'Ambiente Marino Costiero U.O. di Messina - Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Spianata S. Raineri no. 86, 98122, Messina, ME, Italy.
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Maricchiolo
authors.affiliation: Istituto per l'Ambiente Marino Costiero U.O. di Messina - Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Spianata S. Raineri no. 86, 98122, Messina, ME, Italy.
authors.forename: Lucrezia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Genovese
authors.affiliation: Istituto per l'Ambiente Marino Costiero U.O. di Capo Granitola - Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via del mare no. 3, 91021, Torretta Granitola, TP, Italy.
authors.forename: Enza Maria
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Quinci
authors.affiliation: Istituto per l'Ambiente Marino Costiero U.O. di Capo Granitola - Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via del mare no. 3, 91021, Torretta Granitola, TP, Italy.
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Maccarrone
authors.affiliation: Istituto per l'Ambiente Marino Costiero U.O. di Capo Granitola - Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via del mare no. 3, 91021, Torretta Granitola, TP, Italy.
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mazzola
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Edificio 16, Palermo, PA, Italy.
authors.forename: Mirella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vazzana
authors.affiliation: Istituto per l'Ambiente Marino Costiero U.O. di Capo Granitola - Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via del mare no. 3, 91021, Torretta Granitola, TP, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppa
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Buscaino
mesh_terms: D000064:Acclimatization; D000818:Animals; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D006400:Hematocrit; D006854:Hydrocortisone; D019344:Lactic Acid; D009624:Noise, Transportation; D021541:Sea Bream / Q000502:physiology*; D012767:Ships; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D014280:Triglycerides
chemical_list: D014280:Triglycerides; D019344:Lactic Acid; D006854:Hydrocortisone
keywords: Plasma parameters; Sparus aurata; Stress response; Underwater noise pollution; Vessel traffic