Sound pollution as a potential threat in The Caspian Sea: the need for underwater sound assessments

Abstract

The Caspian Sea is a brackish-water habitat and the biggest lake in the world. Sound-generating human activities, so-called anthropogenic sound, recently are well known as marine pollutant that has elevated ambient sound levels in the aquatic environment. Anthropogenic sounds vary in terms of temporal, spatial and structural patterns. Aquatic organisms may use sounds to communicate with conspecifics, detect prey and avoid predators in their natural habitats. There is a diversity of aquatic animals that inhabit The Caspian Sea. However, to our knowledge, there have yet to be any investigations to assess underwater sound sources, soundscapes, and the potential impacts of anthropogenic sound on taxa in the Caspian Sea. In this paper, it has been argued that not only do we need to prioritize acoustic studies to understand the soundscape and bioacoustics criteria of the Caspian Sea, but also to assess the potential impacts of acoustic stimuli on aquatic animals at the individual and community level.

Keywords

• the caspian sea
• anthropogenic sound
• aquatic habitats
• sound impact