Who’s making all that racket? Seasonal variability in kelp forest soundscapes

Kelp forests off the coast of southern California harbor a myriad of soniferous organisms, creating diverse and complex soundscapes. However, the temporal and spatial variability of kelp forest soundscapes remain poorly documented. Here, the seasonal variability in the soundscapes from two areas, one inside and the other outside a marine protected area off the coast of La Jolla, CA, is described. The din of snapping shrimp snaps was constant in both areas and throughout the seasons, and many distinct, likely fish calls in the 80 Hz—1000 Hz band were heard year-round. Most notably, a late spring/early summer chorus of two putative fish calls (one with most energy at ~90 Hz, the other ~380 Hz) dominated the dusk soundscape of both areas. Many stressors (e.g., pollution run-off, anthropogenic noise, and ocean warming) buffet and degrade the kelp forests of southern California. Documenting how these soundscapes change as the kelp forest conditions change might provide a way to rapidly assess the quality of an...