Effects of Multiple Stressors on the Reproduction of a Coastal Marine Fish
摘要
Marine species are exposed to multiple environmental stressors that can interact in complex ways, producing additive (the sum of single-stressor effects), synergistic (greater-than-additive), or antagonistic (less-than-additive) responses, or, in some cases, no interactive effects at all. Although numerous studies have examined the individual effects of ocean warming and anthropogenic sound on fishes, their combined effects remain largely unexplored. This study investigates how anthropogenic sound pollution and elevated temperature interact to influence reproduction in the painted goby (Pomatoschistus pictus). A factorial experimental design was employed with three sound treatments—added sound (boat sound playback), control (no added sound), and a control for the speaker’s electromagnetic field—and two temperature levels (16 °C and 20 °C). Although neither temperature, sound, nor their interaction had a statistically significant effect on the probability of courting or spawning, these results highlight the need for further multi-stressor studies to better understand how interacting environmental pressures shape the behavioral ecology of marine fishes.