Rockpools or rocking pools? Sensing the vibrations of coastal animals and understanding the potential effects of vibrational noise

Beneath our human senses lies a sensory world that animals use extensively to sense and interact with their surroundings. Whilst our human ear is biased towards air-borne sound, many animals utilize and “feel” vibrations in the surfaces of solids for the detection of biological and physical environmental cues. This sensory mode is hypothesized to be the most ancient of communication forms, with a prevalence of vibration use in terrestrial animals such as elephants, frogs and insects. Vibration is likely used by marine animals, yet the significance of this and the sensitivities to vibration are undocumented for most species. Understanding marine vibrations has become more urgent currently given the prevalence of human activities in the aquatic environment. Many noise-producing operations directly contact the seabed and seashore, such as drilling, dredging and construction techniques. These not only produce sound in the water column, but also vibrations within the seabed itself which have the potential to impact bottom-dwelling fish and invertebrates. Exposure to these vibrations may elicit behavioural or physiological change, mask communication or cause physical damage, as found with water-borne sound. We have then an urgent need to understand the extent to which marine animals use vibration, and whether anthropogenic sources may be affecting them.

This project will investigate vibrational production, sensitivity and usage in laboratory experiments by:

(1) recording solid-borne vibrations produced by fish and invertebrates, using accelerometers and geophones (vibrational sensors);

(2) testing vibrational ‘hearing’ capabilities;

(3) exposing animals to vibrational noise whilst monitoring behaviour using standard ethological techniques;

The species targeted in the study will be largely tailored to the applicants’ interests, given the paucity of data regarding the majority of marine species, including species of commercial interest. The applicant will develop skills in bioacoustics; animal ethology and husbandry; intertidal survey techniques; taxonomic identification; electronics; and computational analysis.

Working between marine biology and acoustic engineering, the bioacoustics skills developed will include using acoustic and vibrational sensors, basic electronics and acoustic processing/computational analysis with specialised software. Development of marine biology skills- particularly animal ethology and husbandry; physiological techniques, intertidal survey techniques; taxonomic identification.  The applicant will have the opportunity to participate in an ongoing outreach project utilising 3D-printed animal models to ‘play out’ the sounds of rockpool animals, therefore ‘rocking’ the public.

Start Date: 1st October 2023

Further Details:

This PhD project is funded by The Faculty of Science & Engineering at The University of Liverpool and will start on 1st October 2023.

Successful candidates who meet the University of Liverpool eligibility criteria will be awarded a Faculty of Science & Engineering studentship for 3.5 years, covering UK tuition fees and an annual tax-free stipend (e.g. £17,688 p.a. for 2022-23).

Faculty of Science & Engineering students benefit from bespoke graduate training and £5,000 for training, travel and conferences.

The Faculty of Science & Engineering is committed to equality, diversity, widening participation and inclusion. Academic qualifications are considered alongside non-academic experience. Our recruitment process considers potential with the same weighting as past experience. Students must complete a personal statement profoma and ensure this is included in their online application.

How to Apply:

All applicants must complete the personal statement proforma. This is instead of a normal personal/supporting statement/cover letter. The proforma is designed to standardise this part of the application to minimise the difference between those who are given support and those who are not. The proforma can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/ym2ycne4. More information on the application process can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/mwn5952t. When applying online, students should ensure they include the department name in the ‘Programme Applied For’ section of the online form, as well as the Faculty of Science & Engineering as the ‘studentship type’ in the finance section.

Application Web Address: https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-research/how-to-apply/