Noisy waters affect feeding and metabolic enzyme activities of amphipod mesograzers

The consequences of the progressive intrusion of anthropogenic noise into natural oceanic soundscapes are largely unknown despite the fact that most metazoans utilize sound or vibration for intra- and interspecific interactions as well as orientation. Coastal ecosystems in particular can be characterized by a high level of human activity and thus anthropogenic noise sources. Here, we studied the impact of such noise on marine mesograzers, small invertebrates that play crucial ecological roles by controlling macrophyte growth while serving as key food sources for higher trophic levels in algae-dominated coastal ecosystems. The effect of added continuous low-frequency noise on the habitat choice, feeding rate, and metabolic enzyme activities of the amphipod mesograzer Marinogammarus marinus was tested in a controlled laboratory setting. While habitat choice appeared unaffected by the added noise, exposed animals exhibited reduced feeding performance as well as altered metabolic enzyme activities. If sustained, the physiological homeostasis of M. marinus and their role in the ecosystem may be jeopardized. The ever-rising sound levels in the oceans may thus have consequences for algae-dominated animal communities in coastal areas.