NRDC: Marine life exists in a world dominated by sound. From pistol
shrimp to blue whales, marine species use sound to find prey
and communicate, sometimes over distances of hundreds of
miles or more. But over the last 100 years or so, increasing
levels of anthropogenic noise from shipping, oil and gas
exploration, naval sonar training, construction, and other activities
have begun to drown out the ocean’s natural sound. For whales,
dolphins, and other marine life, this has resulted in a myriad
of impacts, including stress, deafness, avoidance behaviors
that have diminished feeding opportunities, and even death.
Fortunately, in many cases, relatively simple solutions exist to
mitigate these problems; what is needed is the political will.
