Effect of boat noise on eagle ray behavior

Scientists wanted to understand how different sounds in the water can affect the behavior of eagle rays, specifically how they feed. They set up a floating acoustic system in the water and played different sounds, like white noise or the sound of a boat motor, while an eagle ray was searching for food over sand. The researchers found that while white noise and single-frequency tones did not affect the eagle ray's feeding behavior, the sound of a boat motor significantly disrupted the eagle ray's ability to find and eat food. This study highlights the importance of considering underwater noise pollution and its impact on marine life.

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Berthe et al. 2016