Echoes of the Anthropocene: Noise pollution as a global threat

Anthropogenic noise is a rapidly expanding global pollutant, but its effects across biological levels from individuals to ecosystems remain unquantified. We conducted phylogenetically controlled meta-analyses of 214 experimental studies on 177 aquatic and terrestrial species with ranges that span six continents. Noise altered at least one physiological, developmental, or behavioral trait in 80% of species studied, with declines in fitness and abundance and disruptions of predator-prey interactions. Effects occurred in every habitat, although response mechanisms varied for some traits and species, creating winners and losers. Only multispecies analyses can reveal such species- and ecosystem-level impacts of anthropogenic stressors. Our results establish noise as a novel selection pressure reshaping ecosystem dynamics and as a pervasive stressor requiring soundscape protection alongside habitat conservation.