Anthropogenic Noise Impacts on Invertebrates: Case of Freshwater Red Cherry Shrimp (Neocaridina davidi)

Sound-generating human activities have considerably increased ambient noise levels in marine and freshwater ecosystems across the globe. Anthropogenic, human-made noise is an issue of international concern and rising in ambient sound levels may have negative consequences on aquatic animals at the individual and community level. Anthropogenic noise can negatively affect the behavior of aquatic animals in several ways. While some studies have addressed the effects of noise on fish species, there are considerable gaps in our understanding of the effects of noise more widely, especially on invertebrates. Our interest lies in the effect of noise on the “lower levels of food web members,” i.e., small crustaceans such as the red cherry shrimp (Neocaridina davidi), as model for the link between trophic levels. The red cherry shrimp is a gregarious species, abundant in freshwater habitats, and native to Asia. The red cherry shrimp has economic importance in the ornamental trade and ecological threat as a potential invasive species; however, its behavioral performance in response to anthropogenic noise is unknown. This chapter details the effect of sound exposure on shrimp under laboratory conditions. The findings revealed that noise impact assessments on invertebrates are critically important for understanding how anthropogenic noise alters food webs and reverberates through communities.