Ocean's Loudest: Tiny Shrimp Outroar Rafale Jets, Disrupt Marine Research

• Snapping shrimp (pistol shrimp), not whales, are the ocean's loudest creatures, producing sounds up to 210 decibels.
• Their rapid claw closure creates cavitation bubbles, generating light and extremely loud noise, a phenomenon called shrimp luminescence.
• This intense noise, louder than jet engines, significantly disrupts marine research, masking sounds of other creatures like dugongs and dolphins.
• The problem is global, affecting research in India (CMFRI, Gulf of Mannar), US (Florida Keys), and Australia (Great Barrier Reef).
• Climate change exacerbates the issue as rising ocean temperatures increase shrimp activity; however, their sounds can also indicate healthy coral reefs.

Why It Matters: Tiny snapping shrimp are the ocean's loudest creatures, disrupting marine research globally, with climate change worsening the issue.