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Vessel noise pollution as a human threat to fish: assessment of the stress response in gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata, Linnaeus 1758)

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Abstract

This study examined the effects of boat noise pollution on the stress indices of gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata, Linnaeus 1758). To assess the stress response in these fish, biometric values and plasma parameters such as ACTH, cortisol, glucose, lactate, haematocrit, Hsp70, total protein, cholesterol, triglycerides and osmolarity were analysed. After acclimatization of the animals, the experiment was carried out in a tank fitted with underwater speakers where the fish were exposed to sound treatments (in duplicate) consisting of: 10 days of no sound (control treatment; the animals were only exposed to the experimental tank’s background noise) and 10 days of noise derived from original recordings of motor boats, including recreational boats, hydrofoil, fishing boat and ferry boat (vessel noise treatment). The exposure to noise produced significant variations in almost all the plasma parameters assessed, but no differences were observed in weights and fork lengths. A PERMANOVA analysis highlighted significantly increased values (p < 0.05) of ACTH, cortisol, glucose, lactate, haematocrit, Hsp70, cholesterol, triglycerides and osmolarity in the fish exposed to vessel noise for 10 days. This study clearly highlights that anthropogenic noise negatively affects fish, and they are valuable targets for detailed investigations into the effects of this global pollutant. Finally, these experimental studies could represent part of the science that is able to improve the quality of the policies related to management plans for maritime spaces (Marine Strategy Framework Directive 56/2008 CE) that are aimed at stemming this pollutant phenomenon.

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Abbreviations

ACTH:

Adrenocorticotropic hormone

BPL:

Band pressure level

ELISA:

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

GES:

Good Environmental Status

HPI:

Hypothalamic–pituitary–interrenal

Hsp:

Heat-shock protein

MDS:

Multidimensional scaling

MSFD:

Marine Strategy Framework Directive

OOB:

Classification accuracy for out-of-bag

PC:

Total protein concentrations

PERMANOVA:

Univariate permutational multivariate analysis of variance

SC:

Sympathetico-chromaffin

SPL:

Sound pressure level

RF:

Random forest

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Valentina Corrias and Giovanni de Vincenzi for their valuable assistance in field organization and technical support. This work has been funded by the Flagship Project RITMARE—the Italian Research for the Sea coordinated by the Italian National Research Council and funded by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research within the National Research Program 2011–2013.

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    Authors and Affiliations

    1. Istituto per l’Ambiente Marino Costiero U.O. di Capo Granitola – Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via del mare no. 3, 91021, Torretta Granitola, TP, Italy

      Monica Celi, Francesco Filiciotto, Enza Maria Quinci, Vincenzo Maccarrone, Salvatore Mazzola & Giuseppa Buscaino

    2. Istituto per l’Ambiente Marino Costiero U.O. di Messina – Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Spianata S. Raineri no. 86, 98122, Messina, ME, Italy

      Giulia Maricchiolo & Lucrezia Genovese

    3. Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Edificio 16, Palermo, PA, Italy

      Mirella Vazzana

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    1. Monica Celi
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    2. Francesco Filiciotto
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    3. Giulia Maricchiolo
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    Correspondence to Francesco Filiciotto.

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    Mirella Vazzana and Giuseppa Buscaino have contributed equally to this work.

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    Celi, M., Filiciotto, F., Maricchiolo, G. et al. Vessel noise pollution as a human threat to fish: assessment of the stress response in gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata, Linnaeus 1758). Fish Physiol Biochem 42, 631–641 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10695-015-0165-3

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