I am interested in the effects of anthropogenic sound on fish and other marine animals.

More information about Jeroen Hubert

Research

I am a postdoctoral researcher at Leiden University and study the effects of anthropogenic sound on fish, invertebrates, and marine mammals. The marine environment is filled with sounds originating from natural sources. Water is an efficient medium for the propagation of sound. Since most – if not all – fish can hear and many produce sounds themselves, it is not surprising that fish use sound for activities that are relevant for survival and reproduction. However, in the last decades the amount of anthropogenic sounds increased. Most anthropogenic sources produce sounds within the hearing range of fish and potentially interfere with other biological relevant sounds. I am interested in how this effects fish behaviour, physiology, and ultimately their fitness.

I am currently working on the APELAFICO project. For this, we study the effect of offshore windfarms, including the construction phase, on pelagic fish communities and harbour porpoises. We also study the efficacy and potential for improvement of an acoustic deterrence device for fish. We study this using echosounders, CPODs, eDNA, and hydrophones. The project is a collaboration between VLIZ, WMR, JASCO, IMR, RBINS, and Leiden University.

Biography

I obtained a Bachelor of applied sciences in Animal husbandry in Delft. I continued my education at Leiden University with a Master in Biology. During my master internships, I studied the effect of anthropogenic sound on European seabass and did research on musicality in vocal learning birds. After receiving my Master degree I worked on follow-ups on both internships. For my PhD, I studied the effects of anthropogenic sound on fish and invertebrate behaviour. I am currently a postdoctoral researcher and studying the effects of windfarms on fish and porpoises, and acoustic deterrence prior to potential harmful activities.
 

Teaching

I am teaching in several courses related to behaviour biology. Each year, there are several opportunities for research internships aligned to my research. Please contact me for more information.

Publications