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Ocean noise
pollution is a problem that, by its very nature, is of international
concern. Intense underwater sound is generated by air guns, ship
traffic, anti-predator devices, high-powered sonar and other commercial,
military and industrial sources. Accumulated evidence indicates that
the energy generated by these technologies can have a range of adverse
effects on marine mammals, fish, and other marine life.
Effects
on Marine Mammals
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Mortality or
serious injury caused by hemorrhaging in lungs, air cavities and other
organs
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Mortality or
serious injury caused by the formation of nitrogen bubbles in the
bloodstream leading to embolism
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Stranding caused
by the above or other effects
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Temporary or
permanent loss of hearing, which impairs an animal’s ability to
communicate, avoid predators and detect and capture prey
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Avoidance
behavior, which can lead to abandonment of habitat or migratory
pathways and disruption of mating, feeding, nursing or migration
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Aggressive (or
agonistic) behavior, which can result in injury
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Masking of
biologically meaningful sounds, such as the call of predators or
potential mates
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Declines in the
availability and viability of prey species, such as fish and shrimp
The most dramatic
effects are the mass strandings of whales associated with the use of
active sonar and air guns (Greece, 1996; US Virgin Islands, 1999;
Vieques, 1998 & 2002; Bahamas, 2000; Madeira, 2000; Canary Islands,
2002; Mexico, 2002). The global magnitude of this problem is not known.
Effects on Fish
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Air guns have been
shown to cause extensive damage to the inner ears of fish thus
compromising survival
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Exposure to
low-frequency sonar signals was seen to cause auditory damage,
internal injuries, eye hemorrhaging and mortality in fish (British
Defense Research Agency)
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Trawl catch rates
were observed to fall 45-70% over a 5,000 square km area while air
guns were being used. Catch rates did not increase during 5 days
surveyed after air guns stopped.
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Fishermen in
Plymouth, England have reported precipitous drops in catch rate since
the Royal Navy located a training range there.
In response to the
growing scientific knowledge of intense underwater noise effects on
marine ecosystems, institutions have begun to recognize that noise is a
form of pollution that requires international regulation. Petitions
signed by 70 conservation and animal welfare organizations in North
America, Europe and the Middle East have been submitted to NATO and the
Parliament of the European Union and now to the Member States of the
United Nations. The petitions request the formation of a Multinational
Task Force to develop international agreements regulating noise levels
in the world’s oceans.
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