Photo credit: Pixabay
by Halimat Olunlade, Social Media Manager, Quiet Communities
News outlet Vermont Public published an article last fall that sheds light on another sonic issue impacting marine wildlife: pile driving. Pile driving involves driving long steel posts into the seabed, and is a necessary step in building offshore wind farms. This process introduces high-impact noise to the surrounding environment and creates underwater waves that impact the surrounding ecosystem. Researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution are now examining how this process might impact wildlife like lobsters, sea bass and more. The goal of this research is to understand how marine creatures respond to noisy construction work.
The scientists placed lobsters in underwater cages, 15 feet away from the pile driver, and outfitted them with specialized tags called lobster saddles. The saddles, which function like a Fitbit for lobsters, allowed researchers to monitor the lobsters’ heart rates and movements as the pile driver struck every 7 seconds. The data showed that the noise could induce a stress response called cardiac pause, where the lobster’s hearts literally skip a beat in response to a perceived threat.
These findings highlight the importance of understanding the world from perspectives other than our own. Putting oneself in the place of a lobster might feel ridiculous, but it is a worthwhile exercise to examine just how important these creatures are to their ecosystems and global biodiversity. This study adds to the body of scientific research already examining the multifaceted impacts of building and using wind farms.
The research suggests that science and industry are headed in the right direction. It’s indicative of a future where climate solutions face rigorous environmental and stress testing before mass adoption. I hope that this research spurs more solutions that protect both our planet and the wildlife inhabiting it.
