Marine noise pollution

Noise pollution in the oceans
Deafening sea animals

Nature

Concern about noise pollution in the oceans has grown as researchers learn more about how marine mammals rely on sound to avoid dangers, to find food and to interact with each other. Much of the problematic noise comes from commercial shipping and underwater oil and gas exploration, but Navy sonar has also proven to be deadly.

Incidence

An ocean temperature experiment known as Acoustic Thermometry of Ocean Climate (ATOC), using low-frequency noises transmitted across the Pacific, threatened to deafen whales and other marine animals in 1995.

Claim

We should not disturb the world where careful listening is synonymous with survival – with finding food and avoiding becoming someone else's meal.

A deaf whale is a dead whale.

Counter-claim

Marine noise pollution is often overstated and should not be considered a significant problem. The ocean is a vast, dynamic environment where natural sounds far outweigh human-made noise. Marine life has adapted to various soundscapes for millennia, and many species thrive despite occasional disturbances. Focusing on this issue diverts attention and resources from more pressing environmental challenges, such as climate change and habitat destruction, which truly threaten marine ecosystems. Let's prioritize real problems instead.