Overview of the Fourth International Conference on the Effects of Noise on Aquatic Life

The Effects of Noise on Aquatic Life is an international conference series that was started by Arthur N. Popper and Anthony D. Hawkins in Nyborg, Denmark, in 2007. Volume 27 of POMA brings together articles based on many of the presentations at the fourth conference that took place in Dublin, Ireland, 2016. Underwater noise from pile driving, seismic surveying, shipping, but also non-anthropogenic sources such as wind was examined. The potential effects on animals ranging from plankton, shrimps and crabs, to lobsters, fishes, seals, dolphins, and whales were discussed. Reported effects include behavioral responses, auditory masking, cardiac rate changes, stress, a temporary loss of hearing, and perhaps more serious tissue and organ damage. Short-term and long-term, individual and population-level effects were portrayed. Several studies also looked at the fundamentals of animal sound production and perception. One session dealt with the regulation and management of underwater noise. The social program was intended to encourage more leisurely discussions amongst conference participants in order to facilitate networking and the strengthening of relationships. The feedback from conference delegates (submitted via an online survey after the meeting) was very positive.