The influence of boating noise on the parental care behaviors of smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) during the summer of 2024 at Douglas Lake, Michigan, USA.

Anthropogenic noise is on the increase and in aquatic systems one of the major sources of noise is boat traffic. For organisms in lakes, rivers, and oceans that are capable of hearing, anthropogenic noise may alter behavior in a number of different ways. Here we did a combination of field and experimental work by locating smallmouth bass nests that were actively being guarded by males. Using an underwater drone, we monitored nest guarding behavior before and after a boat ran by the nest. In addition, we monitored behavior during this period while simultaneously recording boat motor noise. The results showed that the sequence of behavior performed by bass was altered during and after the boat ran by the nest.