PIONEER: Effects of underwater noise and chemical PollutIOn on heariNg abilitiEs of cEtaceans in the ARctic

Project description

With the melting of the ice in the Arctic, new areas are becoming accessible for shipping routes, seismic oil exploration, extraction of critical raw materials for new technologies (e.g. rare earth elements), and other anthropogenic activities.  All these activities have the potential to impact cetaceans.
Studies performed on rats and humans show that different chemicals (including PCBs and heavy metals) can cause hearing loss and/or effects of noise exposure are more pronounced. However, a correlation between hearing loss and high levels of PCBs or heavy metals in cetaceans has not been determined to date.

The aim of this project is to identify and quantify the effects of noise and chemical pollution on hearing in cetaceans in the Arctic. Since cetaceans rely on hearing for all their daily activities, it is crucial to understand how underwater noise and chemical pollution (or the cumulative effects of both stressors) could affect cetacean hearing.
To achieve this we will analyze ears of cetaceans that stranded or were legally harvested including complementary techniques to be able to identify lesions in the ear that are compatible with noise exposure. Samples of blubber and/or liver of the same animals will be analyzed for selected chemical pollutants to determine concentrations of persistent organic pollutants and chemical elements and correlate them with the findings of the ear analyses. If possible, the findings of the PIONEER project will be correlated with comprehensive post-mortem findings of each individual to determine the impact of the overall health status on the specific findings but also how cumulative effects of exposure (i.e. noise and chemical pollution) can affect cetacean health.
The novel approach of PIONEER combining the results of the analysis of hearing structures and concentrations of contaminants in several cetacean species in different countries along the Arctic will increase our understanding on the effects of underwater noise pollution on hearing and chemical pollution on health of wild populations.