Motor boat noise making small fish easier to prey on, reef study finds

Predator fish gobbled twice as many smaller fish when motor boats were nearby, according to first research to show noise pollution directly impacts fish survival

A "cloak of noise" produced by motor boats is making small fish easy prey for predators, according to the first study to show noise pollution in the seas can have a direct impact on fish survival.

The research, on Australia's Great Barrier Reef, showed predator fish gobbled up twice as many prey when motor boats were nearby, compared to when the natural noises of the reef were the only sound.