Pile driving noise induces transient gait disruptions in the longfin squid (Doryteuthis pealeii)

Abstract

<jats:p>Anthropogenic noise is now a prominent pollutant increasing in both terrestrial and marine environments. In the ocean, proliferating offshore windfarms, a key renewable energy source, are a prominent noise concern, as their pile driving construction is among the most intense anthropogenic sound sources. Yet, across taxa, there is little information of pile driving noise impacts on organismal fine-scale movement despite its key link to individual fitness. Here, we experimentally quantified the swimming behavior of an abundant squid species (<jats:italic>Doryteuthis pealeii</jats:italic>) of vital commercial and ecological importance in response to <jats:italic>in situ</jats:italic> pile driving activity on multiple temporal and spatial scales (thus exposed to differing received levels, or noise-doses). Pile driving induced energetically costly alarm-jetting behaviors in most (69%) individuals at received sound levels (in zero to peak) of 112-123 dB re 1 µm s<jats:sup>-2</jats:sup>, levels similar to those measured at the kilometer scale from some wind farm construction areas. No responses were found at a comparison site with lower received sound levels. Persistence of swimming pattern changes during noise-induced alarm responses, a key metric addressing energetic effects, lasted up to 14 s and were significantly shorter in duration than similar movement changes caused by natural conspecific interactions. Despite observing dramatic behavioral changes in response to initial pile driving noise, there was no evidence of gait changes over an experiment day. These results demonstrate that pile driving disrupts squid fine-scale movements, but impacts are short-lived suggesting that offshore windfarm construction may minimally impact the energetics of this ecologically key taxon. However, further work is needed to assess potential behavioral and physiological impacts at higher noise levels.</jats:p>