The Punta Campanella Marine Protected Area, located between the Gulf of Naples and Salerno, has launched an innovative project to study underwater ecosystems through acoustic monitoring. This initiative, in collaboration with the Anton Dohrn Zoological Station, involves the installation of a hydrophone on the seabed.
This hydrophone will capture underwater soundscapes, providing valuable insights into cetacean populations and human impact on these waters. Acoustic pollution significantly affects marine ecosystems, particularly for species like dolphins and whales that rely on sound for communication.
The project aims to analyze the sound environment of Punta Campanella, identify species distribution and abundance, and assess human activity's impact on marine ecosystems. The data collected will support the implementation of mitigation measures, such as regulating maritime traffic and monitoring vulnerable species.
Researchers will utilize the hydrophone to detect biological sounds from invertebrates, fish, and cetaceans, as well as geophysical sounds from waves, wind, and rain. According to Lucio Cacace, president of the Punta Campanella AMP, this tool is crucial for scientific research, monitoring, and environmental awareness—key actions for the protected area.
In addition to natural sounds, the project will also record noises produced by human activities, such as boating and fishing, which can disrupt cetacean behavior in Punta Campanella and beyond. Francesco Caruso, project leader for the Anton Dohrn Zoological Station, emphasized that the AMP serves as a natural laboratory for research, showcasing how technology, science, and awareness can unite to protect our seas.
The collective sounds, both natural and anthropogenic, create underwater soundscapes that provide essential information about the ecosystem. This emerging field of eco-acoustics studies these soundscapes to monitor biodiversity, animal community activity, and human pressure on ecosystems.
Acoustic monitoring is particularly discreet, with no environmental impact, allowing for long-term data collection. Cetaceans, such as dolphins and whales, are especially vulnerable to acoustic pollution from increasing maritime traffic. Despite coastal waters being heavily impacted by human activities, studies characterizing coastal soundscapes in the Mediterranean remain limited.
The data gathered will help understand the breeding and courtship periods of certain fish, the migration patterns of cetaceans in the protected area, and peaks in animal activity, enabling the identification of sensitive periods for conservation measures. Additionally, the project will record months with heightened noise from human activities, such as recreation and fishing, providing valuable insights into the health of underwater ecosystems and informing more effective conservation strategies.