Confinement due to the COVID-19 pandemic drastically reduced human activities. Underwater soundscape variations are discussed in this study, comparing a typical and confinement day in a coastal lagoon near a popular tourist city in Mexico. Recording devices were located at 2 m in depth and 430 m away from the main promenade—a two-way avenue for light vehicle traffic—where main tourist infrastructure is located. The nearby marine environment is habitat to birds and dolphins as well as fish and invertebrates of commercial importance. Medium and small boats usually transit the area. The main underwater sound level reduction was measured at low frequencies (10–2000 Hz) because of the decrease in roadway noise. Vessel traffic also decreased by almost three quarters, although the level reduction due to this source was less noticeable. As typical day levels in the roadway noise band can potentially mask fish sounds and affect other low frequency noise-sensitive marine taxa, this study suggests that comprehensive noise analysis in coastal marine environments should consider the contribution from nearby land sources.
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January 2021
January 26 2021
Reduction of roadway noise in a coastal city underwater soundscape during COVID-19 confinementa)
Special Collection:
COVID-19 Pandemic Acoustic Effects
Braulio Leon-Lopez;
Braulio Leon-Lopez
1
Acoustics and Signal Processing Research Group, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste (CIBNOR)
, Avenida IPN 195, Playa Palo de Santa Rita Sur, C.P. 23096 La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico, USA
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Eduardo Romero-Vivas;
Eduardo Romero-Vivas
b)
1
Acoustics and Signal Processing Research Group, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste (CIBNOR)
, Avenida IPN 195, Playa Palo de Santa Rita Sur, C.P. 23096 La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico, USA
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Lorena Viloria-Gomora
Lorena Viloria-Gomora
2
Programa de Investigación en Mamíferos Marinos, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur (UABCS)
, Carretera al Sur km 5.5, Mezquitito, C.P. 23080 La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico, USA
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b)
Electronic mail: [email protected]
a)
This paper is part of a special issue on COVID-19 Pandemic Acoustic Effects.
J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 149, 652–659 (2021)
Article history
Received:
June 30 2020
Accepted:
December 28 2020
Citation
Braulio Leon-Lopez, Eduardo Romero-Vivas, Lorena Viloria-Gomora; Reduction of roadway noise in a coastal city underwater soundscape during COVID-19 confinement. J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 1 January 2021; 149 (1): 652–659. https://doi.org/10.1121/10.0003354
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