Decreased feeding rates of the copepod Acartia tonsa when exposed to playback harbor traffic noise

Introduction Copepods present the largest and most diverse group of zooplankton their feeding behavior can affect top-down bottom-up processes. Thus, how efficient is executed determines abundance copepods’ prey predators and, with that, carbon transfer storage in ecosystems. The rise anthropogenic underwater noise from shipping, oil exploration exploitation, wind farm construction operation, more, increasingly changing marine acoustic environment. This pollution have detrimental effects on biological life. Studies this topic indicate that adversely affects primary producers, mammals, fish, invertebrates. However, little data exist zooplankton. Methods Here, we investigated ingestion clearance rates copepod Acartia tonsa a motile phytoplankton as function density under ambient aquarium sound conditions when exposed to playback, harbor traffic noise. Results We measured significantly decreased A. compared conditions. negative impact was found at all given cell densities between 1k 10k cells ml −1 . Clearance were fitted Rogers random predator equation which revealed capture exposure while handling times remained same both treatments. Discussion Our results call for follow-up studies focus driven community-effects field experiments confirm laboratory predict outcome world multiple stressors. Further, underlying mechanism copepods still unknown. Noise may distract or mask hydromechanical cues prey. also physiology morphology would lead changes behavior. All potential mechanisms need be rigorously future experiments.