Short-term behavioral responses of marine fish to the playback noise from offshore wind turbine operation: A marine medaka study

Offshore wind farms integrated with aquaculture optimize ocean space but may impact farmed fish behaviors through noise. This study examined the short-term (10 min) behavioral responses of marine medaka (Oryzias melastigma) to turbine noise using tank-based playback experiments. Three behavioral parameters (i.e., instantaneous swimming speed, fish school area ratio, and inter-individual distance) calculated from video footage were analyzed using generalized linear mixed models with time and treatment group (noise versus control) as fixed factors. Five fish were randomly selected per group with three independent replicates treated as random effects. A significant interaction between time and group was only detected for instantaneous swimming speed, though all three parameters decreased significantly under noise, indicating swimming and schooling behavior disruption. Although this controlled tank experiment requires field validation and caution in extending findings to other species, the results emphasize the need to include noise pollution in environmental impact assessments for co-located wind-aquaculture farms.