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- Title
Ocean Sound Propagation in a Changing Climate: Global Sound Speed Changes and Identification of Acoustic Hotspots.
- Authors
Affatati, Alice; Scaini, Chiara; Salon, Stefano
- Abstract
Climate change is a relevant threat on a global scale, leading to impacts on ecosystems and ocean biodiversity. A considerable fraction of marine life depends on sound. Marine mammals, in particular, exploit sound in all aspects of their life, including feeding and mating. This work explores the impact of climate change in sound propagation by computing the three‐dimensional global field of underwater sound speed. The computation was performed based on present conditions (2006–2016) and a "business‐as‐usual" future climate scenario (Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5), identifying two "acoustic hotspots" where larger sound speed variations are expected. Our results indicate that the identified acoustic hotspots will present substantial climate‐change‐induced sound speed variations toward the end of the century, potentially affecting the vital activities of species in the areas. Evidence is provided of the impact of such variation on underwater sound transmission. As an example of a species impacted by underwater transmission, we considered one marine mammal endangered species, the North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis), in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first global‐scale data set of climate‐induced sound speed changes expected under a future scenario. This study provides a starting point for policies oriented research to promote the conservation of marine ecosystems and, in particular, endangered marine mammals. Plain Language Summary: Marine fauna, especially cetaceans, depend on sound for all biological functions. Climate change is probably the greatest anthropogenic challenge that humankind faces and it is damaging biodiversity and ecosystems on a global scale. In this work, we coupled these two issues by analyzing future climate change consequences on underwater sound propagation. We based our computations on a high‐emissions scenario, which represents a likely outcome if society does not act on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. We calculated global changes in sound speed and identified the areas that will be most affected at the end of the century. We showed the expected changes on sound propagation using as example one endangered cetacean species whose typical calls will undergo changes in future. We conclude that these future sound speed variations will affect marine mammals' communication and other vital activities that rely on sound propagation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first global‐scale assessment of sound speed and its expected future changes. It provides a starting point for policies that promote the conservation of marine ecosystems and, in particular, endangered marine mammals. In addition, it paves the way to investigate the possible combination of such changes with other anthropogenic pressures (e.g., vessel traffic) which might endanger multiple species in the future. Key Points: New data set of global sound speed at the end of XXI century with associated uncertainty: global sound speed generally increasesClimate‐induced sound speed variations are substantial in selected "acoustic hotspots"Underwater sound transmission loss is expected to decrease in acoustic hotspots potentially changing anthropogenic and natural soundscapes
- Subjects
ACOUSTIC wave propagation; CLIMATE change; EMISSIONS (Air pollution); SPEED of sound; UNDERWATER acoustics; MARINE mammals; ACOUSTIC emission
- Publication
Earth's Future, 2022, Vol 10, Issue 3, p1
- ISSN
2328-4277
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1029/2021EF002099