Sea Lice Are Sensitive to Low Frequency Sounds

24 pages, 21 figures, 4 tablesThe salmon louse Lepeophtheirus salmonis is a major disease problem in salmonids farming and there are indications that it also plays a role in the decline of wild salmon stocks. This study shows the first ultrastructural images of pathological changes in the sensory setae of the first antenna and in inner tissues in different stages of L. salmonis development after sound exposure in laboratory and sea conditions. Given the current ineffectiveness of traditional methods to eradicate this plague, and the strong impact on the environment these treatments often provoke, the described response to sounds and the associated injuries in the lice sensory organs could represent an interesting basis for developing a bioacoustics method to prevent lice infection and to treat affectedFunding for this project was provided by SEASEL SOLUTIONS AS. Project: An acoustic and Bioacoustic solution to sea lice infestation on salmon P.O. BOX 93 N-6282 BRATTVÅG. Norway.-- With funding from the Spanish government through the ‘Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence’ accreditation (CEX2019-000928-S)Peer reviewe