Underwater hearing in sea ducks with applications for reducing gillnet bycatch through acoustic deterrence

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Author(s)McGrew, Kathleen A.
Author(s)Crowell, Sarah E.
Author(s)Fiely, Jonathan L.
Author(s)Berlin, Alicia M.
Author(s)Olsen, Glenn H.
Author(s)James, Jennifer
Author(s)Hopkins, Heather
Author(s)Williams, Christopher K.
Date Accessioned2023-09-21T18:59:35Z
Date Available2023-09-21T18:59:35Z
Publication Date2022-10-28
DescriptionThis article was originally published in Journal of Experimental Biology. The version of record is available at: https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.243953. © 2022. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.
AbstractAs diving foragers, sea ducks are vulnerable to underwater anthropogenic activity, including ships, underwater construction, seismic surveys and gillnet fisheries. Bycatch in gillnets is a contributing source of mortality for sea ducks, killing hundreds of thousands of individuals annually. We researched underwater hearing in sea duck species to increase knowledge of underwater avian acoustic sensitivity and to assist with possible development of gillnet bycatch mitigation strategies that include auditory deterrent devices. We used both psychoacoustic and electrophysiological techniques to investigate underwater duck hearing in several species including the long-tailed duck (Clangula hyemalis), surf scoter (Melanitta perspicillata) and common eider (Somateria mollissima). Psychoacoustic results demonstrated that all species tested share a common range of maximum auditory sensitivity of 1.0–3.0 kHz, with the long-tailed ducks and common eiders at the high end of that range (2.96 kHz), and surf scoters at the low end (1.0 kHz). In addition, our electrophysiological results from 4 surf scoters and 2 long-tailed ducks, while only tested at 0.5, 1 and 2 kHz, generally agree with the audiogram shape from our psychoacoustic testing. The results from this study are applicable to the development of effective acoustic deterrent devices or pingers in the 2–3 kHz range to deter sea ducks from anthropogenic threats.
SponsorFunding for this study was provided by United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the United States Geological Survey Eastern Ecological Science Center, the United States Navy, the University of Delaware College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, the National Institute of Deafness and Communicative Disorders of the National Institutes of Health, and the Friends of Patuxent. Deposited in PMC for immediate release.
CitationKathleen A. McGrew, Sarah E. Crowell, Jonathan L. Fiely, Alicia M. Berlin, Glenn H. Olsen, Jennifer James, Heather Hopkins, Christopher K. Williams; Underwater hearing in sea ducks with applications for reducing gillnet bycatch through acoustic deterrence. J Exp Biol 15 October 2022; 225 (20): jeb243953. doi: https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.243953
ISSN1477-9145
URLhttps://udspace.udel.edu/handle/19716/33310
Languageen_US
PublisherJournal of Experimental Biology
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Keywordssound
Keywordsauditory
Keywordsseabird
Keywordsanthropogenic
Keywordsnoise pollution
Keywordspsychoacoustics
Keywordslong-tailed duck
Keywordssurf scoter
Keywordscommon eider
Keywordslife on land
TitleUnderwater hearing in sea ducks with applications for reducing gillnet bycatch through acoustic deterrence
TypeArticle
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