Ultra Music Festival stressed out some of the University of Miami’s research fish more than being chased by a predator would have.
A preliminary analysis done by UM scientists show toadfish, a species that is common to Biscayne Bay with a physiology that lends itself to study of stress response, heard the music and exhibited acute stress levels during Ultra’s first day on Virginia Key. The report shows the fish were less stressed than if they were in a crowded tank but more stressed than if they heard the pop sounds from a dolphin, a species with a taste for toadfish.
The findings raise questions about how the booming electronic dance music from Ultra’s stages might impact other fish — wild ones as well as other research fish swimming in tanks at the UM facility on Virginia Key.
Read more at our news partner, the Miami Herald.
