Changes to an urban marina soundscape associated with COVID-19 lockdown in Guadeloupe

F. Bertucci, D. Lecchini, C. Greeven, R.M. Brooker, L. Minier, S. Cordonnier, M. René-Trouillefou, E. Parmentier (2021). Changes to an urban marina soundscape associated with COVID-19 lockdown in Guadeloupe. Environmental Pollution 289: 117898. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117898

Using autonomous hydrophones positioned in a channel usually frequented by many recreational boats near Pointe-à-Pitre, this study showed that the decrease in the number of boats detected during the first lockdown in April 2020 led to a 6 decibels decrease in the intensity of the ambient underwater noise recorded during the day (when human activities are usually highest) compared to the levels recorded when activities resumed in May.

The sounds produced by fish in the channel were also studied. The number of the 2 main types of sound increased in the early evening, both during and at the end of the lockdown period. However, fewer sounds were detected during the lockdown than after human activities had resumed.

This study illustrates how quickly anthropogenic noise pollution, and its impact on the behavior of marine organisms, can be reduced in the marine environment when human activity is restricted by showing that environments with less noise pollution could reduce the number of signals needed for fish to communicate effectively, as sounds can more easily reach the receiving individuals.

Such a study can thus persuade decision-makers to assess the impacts of noise associated with human activities in anthropised coastal environments and consider noise mitigation in the planning and management of these areas.

This work was funded by a post-doctoral grant from LabEx CORAIL, the Fondation de France, the Agence Nationale pour la Recherche (ANR) and the Observatoire Homme Milieu Littoral Caraïbe (LabEx DRIIHM).

BOREA contact: Malika René-Trouillefou, malika.trouillefou@univ-antilles.fr