Ships ‘drowning out fish sounds’

Noisy shipping is drowning out the sound of cod and haddock, leading to disrupted spawning and lower numbers of fish, scientists claim.

The traditional British supper is facing an uncertain future as vessel traffic in the Atlantic reduces their communication ranges.

It is threatening to alter the daily behaviour of the commercially and ecologically vital fish, including their feeding, socialising and mating, according to new research.

A team at the US government’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration discovered the phenomenon by studying cod and haddock at spawning sites in the Gulf of Maine. Vocalisations, such as Atlantic cod ‘grunts’ and haddock ‘knocks’, were recorded by bottom mounted instruments at three sites in Massachusetts Bay for three months during critical biological periods in winter and spring. Lead author Dr Jenni Stanley said: “The sound levels appear to be largely driven by large vessel activity, and we found a signification positive correlation with the number of Automatic Identification System (AIS) tracked vessels at two of the three sites.”