Some reef-dwelling fish are twice as likely to get gobbled up by predators in the presence of a noisy motorboat, according to a study released Friday.
The research, published in Nature Communications, adds to a growing body of evidence that noise pollution — on land and in the water — is a serious menace for wildlife.
Many mammals, birds and other animals use sound to locate food, avoid predators, navigate their environment, and even select a mate.
But all of these life-essential functions can be disrupted by noise from ships and sonar probes in the sea, motor vehicles and industry on land, or airplanes.
Sometimes the results are lethal.