title: Marine soundscape shaped by fishing activity.
abstract: Marine communities face anthropogenic pressures that degrade ecosystems. Because underwater soundscapes carry information about habitat quality, we explored whether destructive impacts of fishing could be evaluated via the soundscape. Maerl beds are recognized as biodiversity hotspots and they experience major worldwide degradation owing to fishing. We collected field acoustic recordings in maerl beds exposed to different fishing practices. We found that unfished maerl beds were threefold louder and exhibited sound frequencies more diversified than those recorded in fished maerl beds. Analyses of associated fauna samples indicated that snapping shrimps provided a major contribution to the maerl bed soundscape. Moreover, sea urchins and squat lobsters most likely contributed to differences between the soundscapes of unfished and fished maerl beds. Our results supported the idea that the soundscape can provide valuable information on maerl bed ecosystem health related to fishing activity.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire des Sciences de l'Environnement Marin , Université de Bretagne Occidentale, Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer , UMR 6539, LIA BeBEST, Rue Dumont D'Urville, 29280 Plouzané , France.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-1043-6097
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Coquereau
authors.affiliation: France Energies Marines , 15 Rue Johannes Kepler, Site du Vernis, Technopole Brest Iroise, 29200 Brest , France.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lossent
authors.affiliation: Observatoire Marin, UMS 3113 , Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer , Rue Dumont D'Urville, 29280 Plouzané , France.
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Grall
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire des Sciences de l'Environnement Marin, Université de Bretagne Occidentale, Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer, UMR 6539, LIA BeBEST, Rue Dumont D'Urville, 29280 Plouzané, France; Observatoire Marin, UMS 3113, Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer, Rue Dumont D'Urville, 29280 Plouzané, France.
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chauvaud
keywords: acoustic ecology; fishing; maerl beds; snapping shrimps; soundscape