Title:

(Possibly) Good Vibrations Low Frequency Anthropogenic Sound and Mussel Settlement and Survival Patterns

Sessile marine invertebrates use environmental cues, including acoustic cues, to gather information. Increased settlement rates have been observed in the blue mussel Mytilus edulis in correlation with low frequency vessel noise, indicating that this type of sound may act as a positive settlement cue. To investigate the relationship between vessel noise and the recruitment and survival of M. edulis, hydrophones (Soundtrap ST-500) and settlement plates were attached to two floating dock sites with pre-existing mussel populations in Portsmouth Harbor, NH, during Summer 2023. The plates were monitored weekly for mussel recruits from June-September, (during the settlement period of M. edulis) and average and median daily ambient sound levels (broadband dB10-5000 Hz re 1 uPa) were calculated to compare the presence of low sounds to mussel settlement and recruitment. The average daily median sound value (broadband dB10-5000 Hz re 1 uPa) significantly decreased at the pier-adjacent site from approximately 115 – 105 dB over the course of the experiment, whereas the open site stayed within the range of 110-115 dB. Mussel recruitment peaked in late September, and generally decreased as ambient low sound (primarily vessel noise) increased in the field, as opposed to what previous lab studies have shown.

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