A new study of the effect on marine life of seismic air guns, used in geological surveys of the seafloor, has discovered that the sensory organs and righting reflexes of rock lobster can be damaged by exposure to air gun signals.
Published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society Bocean, the research by scientists from IMAS and the Centre for Marine Science and Technology at Curtin University is the latest in a series of studies they have carried out into how seismic surveys affect marine animals.
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Lead author Dr Ryan Day said researchers exposed rock lobster to seismic air gun noise during field tests in Tasmania’s Storm Bay and analyzed the effects on a key sensory organ, the statocyst, and the lobsters’ reflexes.
He said that, while the impact of air guns on whales and fishes has been relatively well-studied, the effects on marine invertebrates such as lobsters, crabs and squid remain poorly understood.
The study found that after exposing lobsters to the equivalent of a commercial air gun signal at a range of 100-150 metres, the animals suffered significant and lasting damage to their statocyst and righting reflexes.
The damage was taking place at the time of exposure and remained for at least one year, even after the exposed lobsters moulted, Dr. Day said.
Moreover, the study’s Principal Investigator, Associate Professor Jayson Semmens, said that while the ecological impacts of the damage were not evaluated, the impairment would likely impact a lobster’s ability to function in the wild.
Such studies are important to enable government, industry and the community to make informed decisions about how such activities can best be conducted while minimising negative outcomes for fisheries and ecosystems globally
Associate Professor Semmens said.
