The Effects of Noise on Aquatic Life

The effects of anthropogenic underwater sound on aquatic life have become an important environmental issue. The 45 papers published in this Special Issue present an overview of the topics covered at the 5th International Conference on the Effects of Noise on Aquatic Life (Den Haag, the Netherlands, 2019). The growth in studies on anthropogenic sound in the past decade reflects the increasing use of aquatic environments by humans. However, there are still substantial knowledge gaps about the effects of sound on aquatic animals, which should be addressed in future research.

Guest editors: Arthur N. Popper, Christine Erbe, and Joseph Sisneros.

Image credit: Figure 2 from "Physical effects of sound exposure from underwater explosions on Pacific sardines (Sardinops sagax),” J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 147, 2383 (2020).