Anthropocene & Noise Pollution : GS TIMES IAS-PCS

Why in News?

A new study titled “Echoes of the Anthropocene: Noise pollution as a global threat”, published in Science, has highlighted the harmful effects of noise pollution on wildlife across terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Key Findings of the Study

Researchers from the UK analysed more than 200 experimental studies covering 177 aquatic and terrestrial species across six continents.
Noise altered biological traits in approximately 80% of the species examined, affecting reproduction, immunity and survival.
Mortality increased by up to 138%, while overall fitness declined by 27%.
Predators increased their hunting effort by over 150%, while hunting success declined by approximately 25%.
Underwater noise can interfere with marine predators’ ability to detect prey, navigate and communicate through sound.
Noise also affects parental care: some bird species increase care, while others reduce it, potentially affecting offspring survival.
Other impacts include increased stress hormones, cellular damage, weakened immune responses and impaired cognitive functions, reflexes and mate selection.

How Does Noise Pollution Affect Wildlife?

Behavioural changes: Prey species may spend more time hiding or avoiding predators.
Disrupted food chains: Predators expend more energy hunting but may catch less prey.
Reproductive effects: Noise can interfere with mate selection and parental care.
Physiological impacts: It can increase stress hormones, cause cellular damage and weaken immune responses.
Marine ecosystem disruption: Underwater noise affects organisms that depend on sound for navigation, communication and locating food.

Why Are Marine Ecosystems Particularly Vulnerable?

Sound travels farther and faster through water than through air.
Many marine organisms, including whales and small invertebrates, depend on sound for survival.
Underwater noise can interfere with communication, navigation, prey detection and echolocation.

Anthropocene: Meaning and Background

The Anthropocene refers to a proposed geological epoch characterised by the extensive influence of human activities on Earth’s natural systems.
The term was coined in the 1980s and popularised in 2000 by atmospheric chemist Paul J. Crutzen and diatom researcher Eugene F. Stoermer.
Although Earth is approximately 4.5 billion years old, modern humans have existed for only around 200,000 years.
Human activities have significantly altered the planet’s physical, chemical and biological systems.
The Great Acceleration refers to the unprecedented increase in the scale and pace of human impacts, particularly over the past six decades.

Major indicators of human-driven planetary change: