Anthropogenic, or manmade, noise in the ocean has drawn an increasing
amount of attention because several marine
mammal strandings and deaths have been associated with
the use of military sonars. Recent
research has shown that noise could interfere with the
communication, feeding, migration, reproduction or other behaviors
critical to the survival of individuals or populations of
marine life. Researchers at the Marine
Policy Center of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
(WHOI) are studying a range of management measures that could
be used to address the problem of ocean noise pollution. In
order to develop effective measures, however, it is essential
to identify the activities that produce noise in the sea,
the source levels and frequency ranges of these noises, the
species that are affected, and the geographic locations where
noise could pose the greatest threat. At present, it is not
routine for such data to be collected systematically. The
little data that exist vary in format, are widely dispersed,
and are not utilized for developing conservation measures
to protect marine life from noise pollution.
This website is the beginning of an effort to provide a balanced
source of information on ocean noise and the activities that
generate it to aid in the development of policy instruments.
|
|
Source: Minerals
Management Service |
|
|
|
|
North
Atlantic Right Whale Consortium |
|
|
