Noisy Waters Hamper the Pumping Behavior of the Polychaete Lanice conchilega

Anthropogenic low-frequency noise (LFN) is a continuously growing stressor in our oceans. How this noise affects most groups of marine animals is understudied especially in the case of benthic invertebrates, important ecosystem engineers that rework the sediment in which they live. Here, the effects of acute, continuous LFN on the bioirrigation behavior of Lanice conchilega, a tube-building worm abundant on the North Atlantic coasts, were investigated by tracking sediment oxygen concentrations via microsensor pre- and during exposure. Individuals exhibited lower pumping (tube ventilation) rates when exposed to LFN than when under control conditions. This may signify repercussions for both L. conchilega and the ecosystems it helps maintain. Thus, more research is urgently needed to predict and circumvent potentially adverse scenarios brought about by underwater anthropogenic noise.