Accompanying measures

Noise impact study on fisheries resources

Objectives and methodology

This support measure focuses on assessing the impact of noise on various emblematic species of the fishery resource of interest in the Bay of Saint-Brieuc, which are: scallops, clams, and cuttlefish. Indeed, knowledge of the impact of sounds on invertebrates and crustaceans at different stages of their development is still very incomplete.

This study in a controlled environment (laboratory) but also natural for the case of the Scallop, aims to better understand the effects of noise on these organisms (like the lobster) and to subject certain species to the sounds of beating and drilling of stakes of various intensities (to simulate a distance gradient between the individual and the noise source). This completely pioneering study brings together a college of international scientists at the forefront of research in underwater bioacoustics (CNRS, LEMAR, MNHN, BeBEST and Polytechnic University of Catalonia) as well as the contribution of CDPMEM 22.

This study is divided into two sub-parts, one dealing with cuttlefish (SONSETC project led by Michel André) and the second with other species studied (IMPAIC project led by Laurent Chauvaud).

These two studies will be the subject of several scientific publications in international journals. All results will be presented publicly once the scientific articles have been submitted. All the preliminary results were presented to the fisheries committees as well as to state services.