Abstract
Black sea bass (Centropristis striata) is an important fish species in both commercial and recreational fisheries of southern New England and the mid-Atlantic Bight. Due to the intense urbanization of these waters, this species is subject to a wide range of anthropogenic noise pollution. Concerns that C. striata are negatively affected by pile driving and construction noise predominate in areas earmarked for energy development. However, as yet, the hearing range of C. striata is unknown, making it hard to evaluate potential risks. This study is a first step in understanding the effects of anthropogenic noise on C. striata by determining the auditory bandwidth and thresholds of this species using auditory evoked potentials (AEPs), creating pressure and acceleration audiograms. These physiological tests were conducted on wild-caught C. striata in three size/age categories. Results showed that juvenile C. striata significantly had the lowest thresholds, with hearing sensitivity decreasing in the larger size classes. Furthermore, Centropristis striata has fairly sensitive hearing relative to other related species. Preliminary investigations into the mechanisms of their hearing ability were undertaken with gross dissections and an opportunistic micro computed tomography image to address the auditory structures including otoliths and swimbladder morphology. Crucially, the hearing range of C. striata, and their most sensitive frequencies, directly overlap with high-amplitude anthropogenic noise pollution such as shipping and underwater construction.