A study shows endangered Kemp's ridley turtles are sensitive to ship noise, highlighting risks from industrial activities in their habitats.
A new study has revealed that the endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtles strongly perceive underwater noises generated by ships and industrial activities.
It has been determined that Kemp's ridley turtles, one of the most endangered species of sea turtles in the world, show high sensitivity to anthropogenic noise in waters with heavy shipping traffic.
THEY CAN HEAR LOW FREQUENCIES
The study published in The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (JASA) indicates that turtles are particularly sensitive to low-frequency sounds produced by ships and industrial activities, raising concerns about the impact of ocean noise on marine ecosystems.
Charles Muirhead, the author of the study, stated, 'They face various threats such as accidental entanglement in fishing gear, ship strikes, ingestion of plastic waste, and degradation of nesting beaches and coastal habitats. Because they live in areas close to the Gulf Coast and the Western North Atlantic's continental shelf, which are regions of intense human activity, they are frequently exposed to overlapping stress factors throughout a significant portion of their life cycle.'
WHY IS OCEAN NOISE IMPORTANT?
Like many marine animals, Kemp's ridley sea turtles rely on sound to interact with their environment. Underwater sounds, especially at low frequencies, can travel long distances. These low-frequency sounds are often produced by ships and industrial equipment and may overlap with the natural sounds that turtles use for navigation and orientation in the ocean.
SENSORS PLACED ON TURTLES
Researchers tested how well the turtles could hear by attaching non-invasive sensors to their heads to record electrical activity along the auditory nerves. The team exposed the turtles to sounds ranging from 50 hertz to 1600 hertz, close to the lower threshold of human hearing. The results showed that turtles were most sensitive to sounds around 300 hertz, with their hearing ability decreasing at higher frequencies.
Muirhead noted, 'Our findings indicate that turtles are most sensitive in the low-frequency band where industrial and shipping noise is prevalent. This does not automatically mean harmful effects occur, but it emphasizes where further monitoring and targeted impact studies should be concentrated.'
Source: SeaNews Türkiye
