Seismic surveys reduce cetacean sightings across a large marine ecosystem

Noise pollution is increasing globally, and as oceans are excellent conductors of sound, this is a major concern for marine species reliant on sound for key life functions. Loud, impulsive sounds from seismic surveys have been associated with impacts on many marine taxa including mammals, crustaceans, cephalopods, and fish. However, impacts across large spatial scales or multiple species are rarely considered. We modelled over 8,000 hours of cetacean survey data across a large marine ecosystem covering > 880,000 km(2) to investigate the effect of seismic surveys on baleen and toothed whales. We found a significant effect of seismic activity across multiple species and habitats, with an 88% (82–92%) decrease in sightings of baleen whales, and a 53% (41–63%) decrease in sightings of toothed whales during active seismic surveys when compared to control surveys. Significantly fewer sightings of toothed whales also occurred during active versus inactive airgun periods of seismic surveys, although some species-specific response to noise was observed. This study provides strong evidence of multi-species impacts from seismic survey noise on cetaceans. Given the global proliferation of seismic surveys and large propagation distances of airgun noise, our results highlight the large-scale impacts that marine species are currently facing.