A large-scale experiment finds no consistent evidence of change in mortality or commercial productivity in silverlip pearl oysters (Pinctada maxima) exposed to a seismic source survey

Miles J G Parsons; Diego R Barneche; Conrad W Speed; Robert D McCauley; Ryan D Day; Cecile Dang; Rebecca Fisher; Hosna Gholipour-Kanani; Stephen J Newman; Jayson M Semmens; Mark G Meekan

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115480

A large-scale experiment finds no consistent evidence of change in mortality or commercial productivity in silverlip pearl oysters (Pinctada maxima) exposed to a seismic source survey

Mar Pollut Bull. 2024 Feb:199:115480. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115480. Epub 2023 Oct 13.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Australian Institute of Marine Science, Perth, Western Australia, Australia; UWA Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Australia; Centre for Marine Science and Technology, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia, Australia. Electronic address: m.parsons@aims.gov.au.
² Australian Institute of Marine Science, Perth, Western Australia, Australia; UWA Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Australia.
³ Australian Institute of Marine Science, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
⁴ Centre for Marine Science and Technology, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia, Australia.
⁵ Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Battery Point, Tasmania, Australia.
⁶ Western Australian Fisheries and Marine Research Laboratories, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Government of Western Australia, Hillarys, Western Australia, Australia.
⁷ UWA Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Australia.

PMID: 37839912
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115480

Abstract

High-intensity, impulsive sounds are used to locate oil and gas reserves during seismic exploration of the seafloor. The impacts of this noise pollution on the health and mortality of marine invertebrates are not well known, including the silverlip pearl oyster (Pinctada maxima), which comprises one of the world's last remaining significant wildstock pearl oyster fisheries, in northwestern Australia. We exposed ≈11,000 P. maxima to a four-day experimental seismic survey, plus one vessel-control day. After exposure, survival rates were monitored throughout a full two-year production cycle, and the number and quality of pearls produced at harvest were assessed. Oysters from two groups, on one sampling day, exhibited reduced survival and pearl productivity compared to controls, but 14 other groups receiving similar or higher exposure levels did not. We therefore found no conclusive evidence of an impact of the seismic source survey on oyster mortality or pearl production.

Keywords: Noise impacts; Particle motion; Pinctada; Seismic survey; Sound exposure levels.

MeSH terms

Animals
Australia
Fisheries
Noise
Pinctada*
Sound