High intensity anthropogenic sound damages fish ears

Marine petroleum exploration involves the repetitive use of high-energy noise sources, air-guns, that produce a short, sharp, low-frequency sound. Despite reports of behavioral responses of fishes and marine mammals to such noise, it is not known whether exposure to air-guns has the potential to damage the ears of aquatic vertebrates. It is shown here that the ears of fish exposed to an operating air-gun sustained extensive damage to their sensory epithelia that was apparent as ablated hair cells. The damage was regionally severe, with no evidence of repair or replacement of damaged sensory cells up to 58 days after air-gun exposure.     

Development of form and function in peripheral auditory structures of the zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Investigations of the development of auditory form and function have, with a few exceptions, thus far been largely restricted to birds and mammals, making it difficult to postulate evolutionary hypotheses. Teleost fishes represent useful models for developmental investigations of the auditory system due to their often extensive period of posthatching development and the diversity of auditory specializations in this group. Using the auditory brainstem response and morphological techniques we investigated the development of auditory form and function in zebrafish (Danio rerio) ranging in size from 10 to 45 mm total length. We found no difference in auditory sensitivity, response latency, or response amplitude with development, but we did find an expansion of maximum detectable frequency from 200 Hz at 10 mm to 4000 Hz at 45 mm TL. The expansion of frequency range coincided with the development of Weberian ossicles in zebrafish, suggesting that changes in hearing ability in this species are driven more by development of auxiliary specializations than by the ear itself. We propose a model for the development of zebrafish hearing wherein the Weberian ossicles gradually increase the range of frequencies available to the inner ear, much as middle ear development increases frequency range in mammals.     

Zur Kenntniss des Oroselons und Peucedanins

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Quantitative Bestimmung von Niederschl?gen ohne Filtriren, Auswaschen und Trocknen derselben

Ohne ZusammenfassungFortsetzung und Schluss.     

Velocity measurements in a two-phase turbulent jet

The motion of oil droplets in a round turbulent air jet is investigated experimentally. Direct information on the droplets' average velocity is obtained by means of a Laser Doppler velocimeter. Average velocity profiles of the droplets are measured along the axis of the jet and transverse to it. The results are compared to the free jet expansion.The jet Reynolds number is in the range 10⁴–10⁵, the droplets' diameters are 50 μm and below and the volume concentration of the oil in the air is 10^?6.At the jet exit, the air velocity is higher than the droplets' velocity, at the developed region of the jet the droplets' velocity is found to be higher than the free air jet velocity at the same location. In the radial direction, the velocity profiles of the droplets are self similar and the droplets' velocity is lower than the free air jet velocity at the same location. The droplets' velocity decay along the axis of the jet is slower than the air velocity in the free jet and the two-phase jet is narrower than the submerged free air jet at the same exit velocity.     

The inner ears of Northern Canadian freshwater fishes following exposure to seismic air gun sounds

An earlier study examined the effects of exposure to seismic air guns on the hearing of three species of fish from the Mackenzie River Delta in Northern Canada [Popper et al. (2005). "Effects of exposure to seismic airgun use on hearing of three fish species," J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 117, 3958-3971]. The sound pressure levels to which the fishes were exposed were a mean received level of 205-209 dB re 1 microPa (peak) per shot and an approximate received mean SEL of 176-180 dB re 1 microPa(2) s per shot. In this report, the same animals were examined to determine whether there were effects on the sensory cells of the inner ear as a result of the seismic exposure. No damage was found to the ears of the fishes exposed to seismic sounds despite the fact that two of the species, adult northern pike and lake chub, had shown a temporary threshold shift in hearing studies.