Natural vibrations are used by animals to communicate, to sense predators, detect prey, forage and reproduce. Vibrational communication assists both invertebrates and vertebrates to retrieve information from their surrounding environment. However, anthropogenic activities that are in direct contact with the seabed (such as pile-driving and mining) produce both sound in the water column and vibrations in the seabed. Exposure to vibrational noise has the potential to harm bottom-dwelling species in a similar way to water borne noise, potentially eliciting behavioural or physiological changes, or even causing physical damage. Research regarding substrate vibrations and marine invertebrates is in its infancy, with the vibrational sensitivities of most marine species relatively unknown; there is therefore a pressing need to understand the use of vibrations, since their usage defines how animals interact with their environment, as well as how human activity might interfere with natural biological processes. Here, we outline our project plan which will utilise different experimental setups to investigate the sensitivities of marine invertebrates to substrate-borne vibration. Preliminary studies will be done under controlled laboratory conditions to compare vibrational sensitivities, between and within taxa, through repeatable and reproducible methodologies. Overall, we aim to understand the effects of vibrational noise on key marine invertebrates and highlight the need for a shift in underwater noise research, to recognise vibrational noise in addition to water-borne sound.