Das Projekt "Effects of anthropogenic noise on fish behaviour and development" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von University Bristol, School of Biological Sciences durchgeführt. Effects of anthropogenic noise on fish behaviour and development Background Anthropogenic (man-made) noise is causing an ever-increasing problem in the natural world and it penetrates through all media - air, soil, vegetation and even water -, and may therefore affect any animals with hearing abilities and for which sound plays a crucial role. Compared to terrestrial animals, however, there have been far fewer investigations of the impact of anthropogenic noise on marine and freshwater organisms; relatively little is known about how exposure to such sounds affects fish. Investigations into potentially negative influences on fish are vital because they provide a critical food resource to the burgeoning human population and form an integral link in many food webs. The need for scientifically rigorous studies examining the impacts of anthropogenic noise on fish is therefore obvious, and has been highlighted in recent academic review and by inclusion in the policies of international and national organisations. Many species live in groups, where social interactions are essential. This is especially true for cooperative breeders - species in which parents are assisted in the care of their offspring by other individuals, known as 'helpers' - which display a wide repertoire of behaviours. Cooperatively breeding fishes are frequently territorial and consequently cannot escape areas of high anthropogenic noise; they are therefore highly vulnerable to any disruptive effects of such noise on behaviour and development. However, nothing is yet known about how anthropogenic noise might impact helping behaviour and very little about its effects on fish development. Objectives This project focuses on the effects of anthropogenic noise on fish behaviour and development. Specifically, I will investigate for the first time in fish how anthropogenic noise affects cooperative behaviour. Furthermore, I will examine how any noise-induced changes in cooperative care impact on offspring development, in addition to direct effects arising from the exposure of eggs and fry to the noise itself. By combining physiological assessment of hearing thresholds, controlled experimental manipulations, detailed behavioural observations and developmental measures of a well-studied model species (the cooperatively breeding cichlid, Neolamprologus pulcher), my overall aim is to advance our understanding of the disruptiveness of man-made sound on fish. In particular, I will address the following key research questions: o Q1. Does anthropogenic noise disrupt cooperative behaviour? o Q2. How is reproductive success affected by anthropogenic noise?