Nutrient Pollution From Cities Negatively Affecting Sounds From Marine Life.

According to an article in the online journal Landscape Ecology a process known as eutrophication, a water based ecosystem's response to an increase of nutrients, primarily phosphates, has caused certain ecosystems to become more silent when  compared to ecosystems not affected by eutrophication. The article claims that a majority of the sounds that have gone missing primarily belonged to shrimp and sea urchins, but also came from fish. The primary reason that this is an issue is because many marine animals use sound to locate shelter, meaning that without the ability to find shelter their populations are likely to be at risk.

The writers of the article also found that the audio recordings in ecosystems near under-water volcanic vents, which act as accurate predictors of how future marine ecosystems will behave if climate change continues to be poorly managed, matched the audio recordings of systems which had been afflicted by eutrophication. The article concludes by suggesting that reducing the amount of nutrient pollution in areas near bodies of water would help to strengthen those ecosystems.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/09/160906103149.html