Anthropogenic noise pollution is a growing threat to marine ecosystems, yet the behavioral and physiological impacts on fishes remain under-explored, particularly in the field. Here, the current evidence of the effects of in situ motorboat noise on the vocalizations and parental care behaviors of the plainfin midshipman (Porichthys notatus), a soniferous toadfish that nests in the intertidal and vocalizes to attract mates and defend their young, is explored. Plainfin midshipman males were found to decrease the number of agonistic grunts and growls that they produced, increase the amplitude of their vocalizations, and alter the frequency of vocalizations during noise exposure. These findings suggest that midshipman fish exhibit vocal plasticity in response to noise, aligning with the Lombard effect—a behavioral adaptation commonly observed in birds and mammals to overcome acoustic masking, but rarely studied in fishes. Additionally, preliminary data indicate that midshipman males reduce the time spent providing parental care when exposed to boat noise, suggesting broader fitness implications of noise. The research discussed here contributes to the growing body of evidence of real-world impacts of noise pollution on marine life, underscoring the need for further in situ studies to assess the full scope of noise-induced disturbances in marine environments.