Meghan Hodges
Noise pollution is defined as unwanted or disturbing sound that affects the health and well-being of humans and other organisms. It is commonly generated by human activities such as industrial facilities, transportation, and construction. Noise pollution has significant impacts on both human and animal health, including hearing loss, high blood pressure, stress, and sleep disturbances. In the ocean, noise pollution is caused by shipping, boating, and energy exploration activities, which can have detrimental effects on marine life, particularly those that rely on echolocation for survival, such as whales and dolphins. The increasing noise levels in the ocean can disrupt the natural behaviours and ecosystems of marine animals, making it difficult for them to communicate, navigate, and find food.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Definition of noise pollution | Unwanted or disturbing sound that affects the health and well-being of humans and other organisms |
| Impact on marine animals | Interferes with breeding cycles, rearing, and ability to attract a mate, communicate, navigate, find food, or avoid predators |
| Impact on humans | Health problems such as hearing loss, high blood pressure, heart disease, sleep disturbances, stress, and speech interference |
| Sources of underwater noise pollution | Shipping, recreational boating, sonars, construction activities, drilling, oil rig platforms, seismic surveys, and naval sonar devices |
| Solutions | Changing the design of ships and other vessels, using bubble curtains, passive acoustic monitoring, and implementing noise regulations |
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What You'll Learn
Shipping and boating
The leading cause of underwater noise from ships is propeller cavitation, a phenomenon resulting from a breakdown in water flow over the propeller blades. This issue can be mitigated through design modifications to the propeller and hull, as well as the use of devices that smoothen water flow into the propeller. For instance, the shipping company Maersk achieved a 75% reduction in noise energy by installing efficient propellers and reconfiguring hulls.
Other factors contributing to underwater noise from ships include the operation of equipment like echosounders and the engine, which can be mitigated by placing it on mounts to prevent direct contact with the hull. Additionally, slowing down vessels effectively reduces noise emissions, with a 1-knot reduction lowering noise by 1 decibel. Speed restrictions have been implemented in certain areas, such as the Gulf of St. Lawrence, to protect marine life from ship strikes and noise disturbances.
The impact of underwater noise pollution on marine life is significant. Marine species rely on sound for crucial activities such as communication, foraging, navigation, and reproduction. Ship noise can overwhelm and mask these natural sounds, causing marine animals to alter their behaviours and leave preferred habitats. It has also been linked to elevated stress levels in marine mammals, reducing their resilience to other challenges such as water pollution and habitat loss.
To address the issue of underwater noise from shipping and boating, several measures can be implemented. These include the use of sound-dampening materials and quieter propulsion systems in vessel design, regular propeller cleaning and maintenance to ensure efficiency, and the adoption of guidelines for reducing noise emissions from commercial ships. By taking these steps, we can mitigate the negative impacts of underwater noise pollution on both marine life and the shipping and boating industries.
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Construction and drilling
The impact of construction and drilling noise pollution extends beyond the immediate vicinity of the site. Noise from construction activities can interfere with the natural cycles of animals, reducing their usable habitat. In marine environments, which were once tranquil, noise from ships, oil drills, and seismic tests can now create a loud and chaotic environment. This is particularly detrimental to whales and dolphins, which rely on echolocation for communication, navigation, and finding food. The noise from naval sonar devices has been associated with mass strandings of these marine mammals, as their ability to navigate is disrupted.
To mitigate the impact of construction and drilling noise pollution, several measures can be implemented. One approach is to use sound-absorbing materials on walls, ceilings, and floors to reduce the reflection of sound waves. Materials such as carpet, foam padding, and fiberglass are more effective at absorbing sound than metal, wood, or concrete. Additionally, noise barriers can be erected to block the direct path of sound by enclosing the source.
Another strategy is to prioritize the use of quieter equipment and tools whenever possible. This may include selecting machines with quieter cooling fans or higher engineering tolerances, or opting for processes that are inherently quieter. While these specialized machines may have a higher upfront cost, they can be more cost-effective in the long run compared to the continuous costs of hearing protection equipment and potential medical expenses associated with hearing damage.
Personal protective equipment (PPE), such as earplugs and earmuffs, should be a last resort when other noise-reducing controls are impractical. The dynamic and ever-changing nature of construction sites can make it challenging to consistently control noise output, so PPE measures are often employed. However, it is crucial to ensure that hearing protection does not impede the effectiveness of other PPE that workers may need to wear simultaneously.
Furthermore, construction companies can implement good site practices to control and prevent noise pollution. This includes preparing environmental risk assessments for all construction activities and materials that may contribute to noise pollution. Specific measures, such as minimizing land disturbance and leaving maximum vegetation cover, can help reduce noise impact and prevent erosion and runoff.
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Oil rig platforms
The impact of noise pollution from oil rig platforms extends beyond the disruption of marine life. Oil and gas operations produce a range of noise types, including intermittent and continuous sounds of varying intensities. For example, compressor stations used in natural gas production generate a low rumble, while drilling a horizontal well is an extremely loud process that can operate continuously for four to five weeks, 24 hours a day. The use of large volumes of water at high pressure during drilling also results in pump- and fluid-handling noise.
The noise produced by oil and gas operations frequently exceeds recommended health and safety standards. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established a protective noise guideline of 70 dBA over a 24-hour period to prevent hearing loss. However, the EPA recommends a lower noise level limit of 55 dBA outdoors to prevent interference with speech and sleep. Researchers have found that noise levels at oil and gas sites often surpass the maximum permissible noise levels for residential and commercial zones, with measurements in the range of 70-80 dBA and even exceeding 85 dBA in some cases.
The impact of noise pollution from oil rig platforms is not limited to human health but also extends to marine life. Studies have shown that noise from offshore oil and gas surveys can affect whales up to 3 km away. Air guns, used in seismic surveys, release compressed air into the ocean, producing loud bangs that travel through the water and bounce off various layers of rock, oil, or gas. While not intended to harm whales, there are concerns about the potential impacts of these frequent and loud sounds. Additionally, anthropogenic noise pollution from pile-driving has been found to disrupt the structure and dynamics of fish shoals.
The direct impacts of oil and gas extraction on the environment are complex and multifaceted. While the atmospheric effects of burning fossil fuels are well known, the consequences of the extraction process itself are less clear. "Produced water," which is used to facilitate the extraction of oil and gas, is a major source of environmental pollution. This water, along with pollutants such as heavy metals, hydrocarbons, and radioactive particles, is often discharged directly into the environment. High levels of pollutants in the sediment near oil rig platforms can cause natural food webs to break down, leading to a decline in biodiversity.
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Seismic surveys
The loud, impulsive sounds from seismic surveys have been associated with impacts on many marine taxa, including mammals, crustaceans, cephalopods, and fish. Studies have found a significant effect of seismic activity across multiple species and habitats, with an 88% decrease in sightings of baleen whales, and a 53% decrease in sightings of toothed whales during active seismic surveys. There is also evidence that seismic surveys negatively affect humpback whale singing activity and alter blue whale acoustic communication.
The global proliferation of seismic surveys and the large propagation distances of airgun noise have led to concerns about their impact on marine species. Initiatives are underway to formally include noise as a "pollutant" under international treaties such as the UN Law of the Sea. Regional, national, and state ocean policy agencies have begun to address ocean noise questions, driven by concerns about sonar and shipping, with seismic surveys being increasingly recognised as a contributing factor.
Responses to the increasing concerns about the effects of seismic surveys vary. Some call for a moratorium on surveys and legal challenges, while others suggest mitigation options such as reducing the size of the exclusion zone or changing the design of ships and vessels.
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Naval sonar devices
Sonar, or Sound Navigation and Ranging, is a technique that uses sound propagation to navigate, communicate, and detect objects under the water. The term 'sonar' is also used to refer to the equipment used to generate and receive the sound. There are two types of sonar: active and passive.
Active sonar emits pulses of sound and listens for echoes to detect objects. Active sonar transducers send out an acoustic signal or pulse of sound into the water. If an object is in the path of the sound pulse, the sound bounces off the object and returns an 'echo' to the sonar transducer. If the transducer is equipped with the ability to receive signals, it measures the strength of the signal. Active sonar is primarily used in military applications.
Passive sonar, on the other hand, does not emit its own signal. Instead, it listens for the sound made by vessels or marine animals. It is used when the objective is to avoid detection, such as for military vessels, or for scientific missions that require quiet observation of the ocean. Passive sonar cannot measure the range of an object unless used with other passive listening devices.
The use of naval sonar has been opposed by environmental groups, who have lobbied the government to curtail testing or at least ramp up testing gradually to give marine wildlife a chance to escape affected areas. In 2003, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) successfully sued the Navy to restrict the use of low-frequency sonar off the coast of California. However, the Supreme Court later ruled that the Navy could continue some mid-frequency sonar testing for national security reasons.
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Frequently asked questions
Water noise pollution is any unwanted or disturbing sound in the water that affects the health and well-being of marine animals.
Human activities such as shipping, recreational boating, sonars, construction, drilling, and energy exploration are the main sources of water noise pollution.
Water noise pollution can lead to changes in marine mammals' behaviour, including diving, surfacing, vocalizing, feeding, and mating. It can also cause marine animals to move away from their natural habitats and change their migration patterns.
To reduce water noise pollution, we can change the design of ships and other vessels, put a bubble around construction sites, and use passive acoustic monitoring to gather data and monitor levels of harmful underwater noise pollution.
