The Impact of Boat Noise on European Sea Bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) Behavior and Physiology

The Industrial Revolution marked a pivotal period during which human activities significantly increased. Resulting in a broad impact on various ecosystems. One anthropogenic factor that has recently gained attention is the effect of noise pollution on the behavior and physiology of various organisms. This study aimed to investigate the physiological and behavioral responses of European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) to marine noise pollution, specifically from boats. To quantify stress response measurements of cortisol from plasma, scales, and muscle were done to determine physiological changes. While to assess behavioral effects, DeepLabCut-- a markerless pose detection software, and The Observer XT-- a behavioral coding software, were used to quantify and evaluate specific behavioral patterns.