The Curious Acoustic Behavior of Estuarine Snapping Shrimp: Temporal Patterns of Snapping Shrimp Sound in Sub-Tidal Oyster Reef Habitat

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0143691
• Publication Date: 2016-01-13T18:39:12Z
• Authors: DelWayne R. Bohne...; Ashlee Lillis; David B. Eggleston
• Keywords: Crepuscular; Nursery habitat

Ocean soundscapes convey important sensory information to marine life. Like many mid-to-low latitude coastal areas worldwide, the high-frequency (>1.5 kHz) soundscape of oyster reef habitat within West Bay Marine Reserve (36°N, 76°W) is dominated by impulsive, short-duration signals generated snapping shrimp. Between June 2011 and July 2012, a single hydrophone deployed was programmed record 60 or 30 seconds acoustic data every 15 minutes. Envelope correlation amplitude were then used count shrimp snaps these recordings. The observed snap rates vary from 1500–2000 per minute during summer <100 winter. Sound pressure levels are positively correlated with rate (r = 0.71–0.92) seasonally ~15 decibels in 1.5–20 kHz range. Snap water temperatures 0.81–0.93), as well potentially influenced climate-driven changes quality. Light availability modulates on diurnal time scales, most days exhibiting significant preference for either nighttime daytime snapping, showing additional crepuscular increases. During mid-summer, number occurring at night 5–10% more than predicted random model; however, this pattern reversed between August April, an excess up 25% recorded day mid-winter. Diurnal variability sound largest mid-winter, when overall its lowest, percentage difference activity highest. This work highlights our lack knowledge regarding ecology behavior one dominant soniforous invertebrate species systems. It also underscores necessity long-duration, high-temporal-resolution sampling efforts understand bioacoustics animal behaviors associated soundscape.