Airgun blasts used in marine seismic surveys have limited effects on mortality, and no sublethal effects on behaviour or gene expression, in the copepod Calanus finmarchicus

Seismic surveys use airguns that emit low frequency high magnitude sound to detect subsea resources and to map seabed geology. The effect of seismic blasts on Calanus spp., a key food source for commercially important fish, was assessed in field experiments. Immediate mortality of copepods was significantly different from controls at distances of 5 m or less from the airguns. Mortality 1 week after the airgun blast was significantly higher—by 9%...