Impact of Motorboat Noise on Vocalizations of Nesting Plainfin Midshipman Fish

As noise pollution in coastal environments continues to grow, it is imperative to understand how it may be negatively impacting marine life. The study in this chapter tested whether noise from a real motorboat would alter the vocalizations of nesting plainfin midshipman fish (Porichthys notatus), a soniferous toadfish that breeds in the intertidal zone and uses its vocalizations for courtship and defense. The results show evidence that wild …