This dataset shows the hourly sound pressure magnitude data measured underwater throughout the 18 months of experiment (11th of May 2023 – 31st of August 2024) in Helgoland (Margate) for different frequencies (10 Hz, 20 Hz, 30 Hz, 40 Hz, 50 Hz, 60 Hz, 70 Hz, 80 Hz, 90 Hz, 100 Hz, 200 Hz, 300Hz, 400 Hz, 500 Hz, 600 Hz, and 700 Hz) recorded by the HFNI valvometer. The mean sound pressure magnitude is also presented. Missing data corresponds to the stop of recording of the valvometer.
This dataset shows the hourly valve behavioral data of the 16 oysters Ostrea edulis throughout the 18 months of the experiment (11th of May 2023 - 31st of August 2024) in Helgoland (Margate) as well as the temperature recorded by the HFNI valvometer. The oyster valve behavior is characterized by 3 parameters: the Valve Opening Amplitude (VOA, the percentage of the valve opening relative to maximum opening), the Valve Opening Duration (VOD, the percentage of time that an oyster spends with its valves open), and the VOA/VOD. The data are presented for each oyster and as a group average. Missing data corresponds to the death of the oyster number 7 or to the stop of recording due to electrical failure on the oyster's valvometer electrodes.
Once widespread across European coasts, the native flat oyster Ostrea edulis has now disappeared from most of its historical range and is officially recognized as threatened. As a key ecological engineer, this species supports biodiversity by filtering water, stabilizing sediments, and providing complex reef habitats. Understanding and evaluating its behavior and biological rhythms in a natural environment before reintroduction, and how it responds to natural geophysical cycles, is essential to support effective restoration strategies. However, current knowledge on O. edulis remains limited, with most studies focusing primarily on reproduction under aquaculture or laboratory conditions. To help fill this gap, we conducted a 18-month in situ study to assess the valve behavior of Ostrea edulis in the field. The experiment took place at the Margate site (54.19°, 7.88°) near the island of Helgoland (Germany) from the 11th of March 2023 to the 31st of August 2024. The experimental setup consisted of 16 oysters disposed on individual cages in a customized oyster basket placed on a lander, a metallic structure immersed at 10m depth. Their valve behavior was continuously measured during 18 months using a High-Frequency Non-Invasive (HFNI) valvometer biosensor (Tran et al. 2023; Le Moal et al. 2023 for further details). Briefly, a pair of lightweight electrodes (<100 mg) was glued on each half-shell of each oyster and was linked to the HFNI valvometer by a flexible wire, allowing undisturbed oyster valve movement. An electromagnetic field was generated between the electrodes, allowing the measurement of the distance between each oyster's valve in continuous mode. In addition to the oyster behavior, environmental parameters were continuously measured underwater by the HFNI valvometer biosensor during the experiment, such as temperature and sound pressure magnitude. This compilation of datasets gives an overview of environmental parameters and behavioral data collected during this experiment.
Ziele dieses Projekts sind die Identifizierung und Quantifizierung der Auswirkungen von Lärm auf das Gehör von Walen in der Arktis sowie die Identifizierung und Quantifizierung der Auswirkungen von Schadstoffbelastungen auf das Hörvermögen dieser Tiere. Im Projekt sollen Ohren von gestrandeten Walen in der Arktis analysiert werden, um festzustellen, ob die Individuen einen Hörschaden erlitten haben und ob dieser mit der Lärmbelastung zusammenhängt. Dazu sollen sowohl vorhandene Exemplare gestrandeter Tiere als auch neue Funde analysiert und mit nationalen und regionalen Strandungs-Netzwerken, z. B. in Norwegen, Kanada, den USA und Grönland, zusammengearbeitet werden. Zudem sollen neben den Ohruntersuchungen auch toxikologischen Analysen durchgeführt und untersucht werden, ob es einen Zusammenhang zwischen Hörverlust und hoher Schadstoffbelastung gibt. Die Ergebnisse der Analyse von Hörstrukturen und Schadstoffkonzentrationen bei mehreren Walarten in verschiedenen Ländern entlang der Arktis soll das Verständnis für die Auswirkungen von Unterwasserlärm auf das Gehör und von Schadstoffbelastungen auf die Gesundheit der Tiere verbessern. Die Studie soll auch standardisierte Protokolle für langfristige Überwachungsprogramme erstellen, ggfs. politische Entscheidung voranbringen und das Unterwasserlärm-Management verbessern.