Investigating sound transmission into a large aquarium shark tank

Sharks primarily hear frequencies ranging from 100–400 Hz. This study aims to compare sound exposure in these frequencies experienced by sharks in the wild and those in a large aquarium tank. In the tank, sharks are exposed to noise from filtration systems and sound transmitted from public spaces. While sound levels in public spaces are easy to measure, less has been reported regarding sound levels in tanks. To understand the relationship between sound levels in public areas and the shark tank, simultaneous acoustical measurements were taken at the Loveland Living Planet Aquarium in Utah. This shark tank has public spaces along two long walls and a tunnel underneath one side of the tank. In these public spaces, chirps and crowd noise are played through loudspeakers. Sound levels outside and inside the tank are compared. The correlation between these levels is important to understand in order to make informed decisions when setting noise level regulations in viewing areas. The spectral levels measured in the tank are also compared to natural ocean soundscapes, to explore how tank noise differs from what sharks experience in the wild. [Undergraduate research supported by the College of Computational, Mathematical, and Physical Sciences, Brigham Young University.]