Similarly, Acoustic Deterrent Devices (ADD) that produce intense aversive sounds are increasingly being used as way to deter depredating species, typically pinnipeds, from aquaculture facilities 6. Following these observations, sound has been used successfully as a non-physical barrier to fish movement, for example to deter them from entering the water intakes of power plants and dams (e.g. Similarly, bony fishes have been shown to display changes in movement patterns, feeding behaviour, social interactions, and antipredator behaviour as a consequence of anthropogenic noise (e.g. Anthropogenic noise in the ocean has been shown to affect foraging, vocalisation, and movement of marine mammals (e.g. Previous studies have focused on the effects of sounds on marine mammals and bony fishes, both in a conservation context 1, 2, 3, 4 and as a way to control an animal’s behaviour 5, 6. However, sound-induced behavioural changes in sharks are poorly understood. The behavioural response of reef sharks to sound raises concern about the effects of anthropogenic noise on these taxa.Īcoustic methods for modifying the behaviour of marine animals are particularly appealing since sound stimuli can propagate much further than any chemical, electrical or visual cue. The use of the presented acoustic stimuli alone is not an effective deterrent for C. White sharks spent less time around the baited camera rig when the artificial sound was presented, but showed no significant difference in behaviour in response to orca calls. When sounds were playing, reef and coastal sharks were less numerous in the area, were responsible for fewer interactions with the baited test rigs, and displayed less ‘inquisitive’ behaviour, compared to during silent control trials. We used a baited underwater camera rig to record the behavioural responses of eight species of sharks (seven reef and coastal shark species and the white shark, Carcharodon carcharias) to the playback of two distinct sound stimuli in the wild: an orca call sequence and an artificially generated sound. Sound is, however, an important sensory stimulus underwater, as it can spread in all directions quickly and propagate further than any other sensory cue. The effect of sound on the behaviour of sharks has not been investigated since the 1970s.

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