Addressing Data Gaps In Sea Turtle Hearing Sensitivity and Impacts of Sound

The biological significance, or role of sound for sea turtles, and the extent to which they may be affected by anthropogenic noise, is currently not well understood. A workshop and literature review were conducted to establish the state of knowledge, and suggested that sea turtles can detect much of the low-frequency, high intensity anthropogenic sound in the ocean, including pile driving, low-frequency active sonar, and oil and gas exploration and extraction. The apparent low-frequency specialization of sea turtle hearing is reason for concern that they may be impacted by anthropogenic noise. The objective of this study is to fill known data gaps and provide audiograms of four sea turtle species at the juvenile life stage: green, Kemp’s ridley (Lepidochelys kempii), hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata), and loggerhead. In this study, we measured the underwater hearing sensitivity of 14 green, 13 Kemp’s ridley, 6 hawksbill, and 14 loggerhead sea turtles—all at the juvenile life stage. The resulting audiograms provide a necessary tool for assessing and managing the potential impacts of noise occurring in their habitats.

USD: $150,000

2021-02-01 → 2022-05-31