Detection of anthropogenic noise pollution as a possible chronic stressor in Antarctic Specially Protected Area N°150, Ardley Island

Abstract

Anthropogenic noise pollution is emerging as an important environmental stressor with the potential effect of disrupting natural ecosystems, since many taxa rely on acoustic signals for social interaction and communication. Antarctic wildlife is increasingly experiencing the impact of growing human presence on the continent, especially near populated areas such as research stations. Until now, most studies on the sound impact in Antarctica have focused on marine ecosystems, with a clear paucity of studies at the level of terrestrial environments. In this study, we analyze the presence of a specific anthropogenic sound source, a power generator, in the soundscape of the Antarctic Specially Protected Area (ASPA) N°150, Ardley Island. We used Audiomoth recorders to hourly monitor the soundscape in Ardley Island and create a simple yet effective detection method based on spectral features of the source. We cross-validate the detection algorithm with human perception classification of the source presence in the recordings, obtaining a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.61 between the two methods. Further, we relate the detection with wind velocity and direction, concluding that under certain meteorological conditions, the source can be clearly heard from Ardley. Our results suggest that the soundscape of Ardley Island is altered by the near presence of an anthropogenic noise source which could represent an impact on animal life in the ASPA. We consider this kind of study to be relevant in bringing awareness of noise pollution in Antarctic ecosystems and improving management plans in the ASPAs.