Acoustic Tracking of Sand Bass Paralabrax spp. during Pile Driving in San Diego Bay, California

Spatial and temporal movement patterns of marine demersal fish due to high sound pressure levels (SPLs) generated from pile driving remains poorly studied. Fish in the genus Paralabrax are an important component of the local recreational fishery and typically display site fidelity lending themselves well to studying responses to increased SPLs from pile-driving.  Acoustic telemetry methods were used to document movement patterns of fish during pile driving and to increase our understanding of how noise levels could affect residency and movement patterns of fish during similar projects in San Diego Bay.  Five barred sand bass and 35 spotted sand bass were collected from two different sites, a reference site located approximately 1.5 km from the pile driving (Shelter Island) and an experimental site located next to the pile driving (Fuel Pier).  Fish were surgically implanted with acoustic tags and their movements tracked before, during, and after pile driving events.  Results show strong site fidelity by fish at both the experimental and reference sites, with no significant difference (p=0.962) between the percent days detected before, during, or after pile driving activities.  This study shows that increased SPLs from pile driving did not affect movement patterns of Paralabrax species in San Diego Bay.