152
5) What are the effects of noise on the capabilities of sound source localization in
fishes? This question may have a practical application in determining the effects
of anthropogenic noise on the acoustically behaviors of fish. More midshipman
sound localization experiments should be performed especially those in situ to
determine the effects of noise on the ability of females to localize the advertisement call of males. In recent decades, sound levels have greatly increased in
oceanic waters due to anthropogenic sources such as shipping, construction
(e.g., pile driving), seismic exploration, and sonar. These sounds can be heard by
fish and may interfere, or mask, biologically relevant acoustic signals that fish
rely upon. Currently the consequences of such masking and its potential impact
on the reproductive success of affected individuals are unknown.
Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank Drs. Arthur Popper and Richard Fay for
their support, mentorship, and collegiality over the course of our collective careers. Both of the
authors (JAS and PHR) have had the privilege to work with Dick and Art through various projects
and conferences and we are very grateful for their guidance and patience.
Art Popper has been a good friend and biology guru to PHR for over 35 years. (It could have
been over 50 years since Art and PHR attended the same NYC high school at the same time.) Back
in 1980 Art contacted John Munson, the Superintendent of the NRL Acoustics Division, seeking
some help with a tank-acoustics issue. As fate would have it, of the some 200 acousticians at NRL,
Munson chose PHR to help with Art’s problem. When PHR visited his lab at Georgetown
University, Art explained how a fish’s ear consisted of orthogonal dipole sensors and a collocated
monopole sensor. PHR immediately recognized this as being identical to a Navy DIFAR sonar and
PHR became obsessed with the idea that since fish were apparently 600 million years ahead of the
Navy in sonar design that perhaps they had come up with other concepts that the Navy had yet to
discover. From then on PHR was hooked on fish bioacoustics.
Dick Fay has been a great friend and mentor to JAS ever since the first day JAS met Dick outside
the Rowe Laboratory at the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) in Woods Hole, MA during a
smoking break in the summer of 2003. Dick provided the mentorship that allowed JAS to co-PI an
NSF grant to investigate sound source localization by the midshipman fish at the Bodega Marine
Lab from 2007 to 2011. In addition, JAS had the fortunate opportunity to collaborate with Dick at
the Parmly Hearing Institute in Chicago, IL during the spring of 2008 and 2010 and at the MBL in
Woods Hole, MA during the summers of 2011 and 2012. During these wonderful times of collaboration, JAS learned from Dick not only how to become a better scientist but also how to appreciate
fine food and music, especially the jazz music of Art Tatum.
Research in the Sisneros Lab was supported by an NSF grant (IOS 0642214).
References
Bass AH, Clark CW (2003) The physical acoustics of underwater sound communication. In:
Simmons AM, Fay RR, Popper AN (eds) Acoustic communication. Springer, New York,
pp 1–64
Bass AH, McKibben JR (2003) Neural mechanisms and behaviors for acoustic communication in
teleost fish. Prog Neurobiol 69:1–26
Bass AH, Bodnar D, Marchaterre MA (1999) Complementary explanations for existing phenotypes in an acoustic communication system. In: Hauser MD, Konishi M (eds) The design of
animal communication. MIT Press, Cambridge, pp 493–514
Beranek LL (1954) Acoustics. McGraw-Hill, New York
J.A. Sisneros and P.H. Rogers
5) What are the effects of noise on the capabilities of sound source localization in
fishes? This question may have a practical application in determining the effects
of anthropogenic noise on the acoustically behaviors of fish. More midshipman
sound localization experiments should be performed especially those in situ to
determine the effects of noise on the ability of females to localize the advertisement call of males. In recent decades, sound levels have greatly increased in
oceanic waters due to anthropogenic sources such as shipping, construction
(e.g., pile driving), seismic exploration, and sonar. These sounds can be heard by
fish and may interfere, or mask, biologically relevant acoustic signals that fish
rely upon. Currently the consequences of such masking and its potential impact
on the reproductive success of affected individuals are unknown.
Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank Drs. Arthur Popper and Richard Fay for
their support, mentorship, and collegiality over the course of our collective careers. Both of the
authors (JAS and PHR) have had the privilege to work with Dick and Art through various projects
and conferences and we are very grateful for their guidance and patience.
Art Popper has been a good friend and biology guru to PHR for over 35 years. (It could have
been over 50 years since Art and PHR attended the same NYC high school at the same time.) Back
in 1980 Art contacted John Munson, the Superintendent of the NRL Acoustics Division, seeking
some help with a tank-acoustics issue. As fate would have it, of the some 200 acousticians at NRL,
Munson chose PHR to help with Art’s problem. When PHR visited his lab at Georgetown
University, Art explained how a fish’s ear consisted of orthogonal dipole sensors and a collocated
monopole sensor. PHR immediately recognized this as being identical to a Navy DIFAR sonar and
PHR became obsessed with the idea that since fish were apparently 600 million years ahead of the
Navy in sonar design that perhaps they had come up with other concepts that the Navy had yet to
discover. From then on PHR was hooked on fish bioacoustics.
Dick Fay has been a great friend and mentor to JAS ever since the first day JAS met Dick outside
the Rowe Laboratory at the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) in Woods Hole, MA during a
smoking break in the summer of 2003. Dick provided the mentorship that allowed JAS to co-PI an
NSF grant to investigate sound source localization by the midshipman fish at the Bodega Marine
Lab from 2007 to 2011. In addition, JAS had the fortunate opportunity to collaborate with Dick at
the Parmly Hearing Institute in Chicago, IL during the spring of 2008 and 2010 and at the MBL in
Woods Hole, MA during the summers of 2011 and 2012. During these wonderful times of collaboration, JAS learned from Dick not only how to become a better scientist but also how to appreciate
fine food and music, especially the jazz music of Art Tatum.
Research in the Sisneros Lab was supported by an NSF grant (IOS 0642214).
References
Bass AH, Clark CW (2003) The physical acoustics of underwater sound communication. In:
Simmons AM, Fay RR, Popper AN (eds) Acoustic communication. Springer, New York,
pp 1–64
Bass AH, McKibben JR (2003) Neural mechanisms and behaviors for acoustic communication in
teleost fish. Prog Neurobiol 69:1–26
Bass AH, Bodnar D, Marchaterre MA (1999) Complementary explanations for existing phenotypes in an acoustic communication system. In: Hauser MD, Konishi M (eds) The design of
animal communication. MIT Press, Cambridge, pp 493–514
Beranek LL (1954) Acoustics. McGraw-Hill, New York
J.A. Sisneros and P.H. Rogers