Masking

The impact of environmental noise is a serious concern to scientists because the presence of excessive noise in an animal’s environment can threaten its survival. Animals regularly produce and receive sounds in their daily lives for a variety of purposes, such as communication or the search for food. When environmental sounds are louder than sounds that the animal uses, the result is known as masking. Masking is a covering over of one sound with another sound. Scientists believe that masking impedes animals’ ability to transmit or receive biologically important signals that are essential for survival.