No Evidence for an Effect of Chronic Boat Noise on the Fitness of Reared Water Fleas

Ecotoxicological studies mainly focus on chemical pollution, however, since past decades, there has been a growing interest for acoustic pollution. Previous studies on underwater acoustic pollution showed that noise affects vertebrates’ behavior, like fish and marine mammals. However, little is known about invertebrates and there is a huge lack concerning zooplankton species which are widely used as bioindicators in chemical pollution. Consequently, it could be useful to assess the impact of noise in terms of fitness (survival and fecundity). Here, isolated water fleas, Daphnia magna, were reared from birth to death in the presence or absence of motorboat noises. Effects on lifespan and clonal offspring production (e.g., clutch size, number of offspring produced along life, etc.) were measured and chronic exposure to boat noise did not affect Daphnia’s fitness. The spectral and temporal features of the sounds could explain the results. This study highlights the importance to integrate noise pollution into ecotoxicological research.