Through their EPICS in IEEE project, a student team from Istanbul seizes the opportunity to study the impact of noise made by snapping shrimp on the marine ecosystem within and beyond the Aegean Sea
Designed with one claw that’s larger than the other (enabling both claws to create a snapping sound), snapping shrimp emit underwater noise with an acoustic pressure so powerful that it can stun larger fish and kill smaller ones. But while this unique hunting strategy may serve snapping shrimp well against their predators, the noise pollution and shockwaves it creates can have deleterious effects on the rest of the marine ecosystem. However, thanks to the efforts of students from Istanbul Technical University (ITU) in Turkey and their measurement of bioacoustics created by snapping shrimp through their EPICS in IEEE project entitled “Snapping Shrimp in the Northern Aegean Sea,” there will be far greater field understanding of the impact of snapping shrimp on other underwater species as well as scientific evidence to support the need for ecological balance.
Protecting Ecological Balance
“The scope of our project is to study the acoustic behavior of snapping shrimp species living in the Northern Aegean Sea and investigate the effects of noise pollution on both these shrimp as well as other marine creatures,” shared ITU electronics and communication engineering Ph.D. student Melike Girgin. “Our project aims to shed light on a species that’s often overlooked in the marine ecosystem despite the extremely powerful sounds they produce. Our project will also serve the local community with scientifically grounded data and help raise awareness about the importance of protecting marine life.”
Comprised of 17 people, including researchers/project advisors Professor Dr. Tayfun Akgül, Eren Taha Yüzgeç, and Kübra Şahin of Istanbul Technical University as well as mentor and professor Dr. Saif alZahir of the University of Northern British Columbia in Canada, Girgin said that the team’s interest in this project was sparked by the shrimp noises they unexpectedly encountered in recordings for previous projects. They subsequently developed this project and quickly enlisted participation from such community partners as the Turkish Marine Research Foundation (TUDAV) and the ITU ARIS Lab at Istanbul Technical University.
“Because snapping shrimp produce extremely loud, high-frequency sounds that sometimes even mask the calls of other underwater species, we became curious about their effect on marine life and started searching for their population areas along the Turkish Coast of the Aegean Sea,” Girgin said. “Our team activities included collecting data and capturing images of the shrimp using underwater recording systems and cameras, labeling collected datasets, conducting literature reviews, analyzing acoustic and image data, developing our website (https://arislab.itu.edu.tr/shrimps/), and presenting our findings to community members and partners.”
According to Girgin, collecting data across a large and diverse marine area — which the team ultimately extended to include all Turkish seas – proved challenging.
“Deploying underwater recorders, processing long-duration recordings, and keeping the equipment safe required a lot of technical attention, and unpredictable sea conditions, weather, and logistics made things even more difficult,” Girgin noted. “We addressed these challenges by dividing tasks effectively within our team and relying on the support of volunteers. Guidance from our mentors and collaboration with our community partners also made the process smoother and more manageable.”
In terms of their results, the project highlighted the importance of a species that’s often ignored and raised community awareness about marine ecosystems while helping to strengthen the team’s skills in both acoustic signal processing and imaging.
“On the technical side, we built skills in underwater acoustic signal-image processing and dataset preparation, learned to use underwater recorders and cameras, labeling tools, and coding for data analysis, and also gained hands-on experience in preparing recording systems, maintaining equipment, and identifying key steps in fieldwork,” Girgin said. “On the soft skills side, working within an interdisciplinary team taught us how to share responsibilities, take initiative, communicate, and solve problems together; we also improved our project management skills and ability to tailor our presentations in order to explain scientific concepts in ways that different audiences can easily understand.”
Exploring a Rarely Studied Field
Looking ahead, the team is excited to present their research findings at the “Bütün Yönleriyle Gökçeada Sempozyumu” (“Symposium on All Aspects of Gökçeada”) on 2-3 October on the Turkish island of Gökçeada and is also currently testing new methods for detecting shrimp sounds and estimating their population sizes. “One of the most important results of this project will be the opportunity to share our data with researchers from all over the world,” Girgin said. “We hope our project will not only make a local impact in Turkey but also have a broader regional influence.”
Among project benefits, “most of the students involved in this project had no prior experience in underwater research, but thanks to this work, they gained the opportunity to explore a rarely studied field and also inspired curiosity among other students and community members around them,” Girgin said. “Both Turkish and international researchers have been surprised and intrigued to learn about this very specific species, so our project created a platform for discussions on underwater research topics, which we expect will lead to more students getting involved in other areas of marine studies.”
Team members confirm that they couldn’t be more grateful for their hands-on learning experience, which was enabled through support and funding from EPICS in IEEE and the IEEE Industry Applications Society (IAS).
“The support we received from EPICS in IEEE and IAS played a critical role in making this project possible, covering essential needs such as equipment and travel,” Girgin said. “With the backing of these two IEEE communities, our project achieved a much broader impact than we initially imagined.”
“Thanks to EPICS in IEEE and IAS, we didn’t just carry out a research project, but built something that engages the community, supports the development of young researchers, and creates sustainable value through service-learning,” Girgin confirmed. “We strongly encourage other students and researchers to consider an opportunity through EPICS in IEEE because it offers a truly unique experience that combines technical growth with real-world impact.”
For more information on EPICS in IEEE or the opportunity to participate in service-learning projects, visit https://epics.ieee.org/. “EPICS (Engineering Projects in Community Service) in IEEE” is an initiative which provides opportunities for students to work proactively with both engineering professionals, technological innovation, and local organizations/partners to develop solutions that address global community challenges.
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