Greta Jimenez
Ocean noise pollution is a critical issue that has gained prominence in recent years, with human activities such as shipping, boating, and energy exploration contributing to the rising noise levels in our oceans. Marine animals rely on sound for communication, navigation, finding food, and avoiding predators, and the increasing human-made noise is disrupting their natural behaviors. The problem is particularly acute in areas with intense human activity, such as the Salish Sea, Gulf of St. Lawrence, Bay of Fundy, and the eastern seaboard of Canada, where oil and gas exploration is prevalent. Efforts are being made to address this issue, with organizations like the WWF advocating for mandatory regulations and management of underwater noise, especially in critical habitats like the Arctic Ocean.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Areas with the worst ocean noise pollution | The Arctic Ocean, the Salish Sea, the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the Bay of Fundy, the eastern seaboard, and northern British Columbia |
| Main sources of ocean noise pollution | Marine vessels, seismic surveys, sonar, construction, underwater operations (e.g. deep-sea mining), and oil and gas extraction and processing |
| Impact on marine life | Interference with communication, navigation, feeding, and mating; altered metabolisms; hampered population recruitment; hearing loss; stress; and behavioural changes |
| Efforts to reduce ocean noise pollution | Slowing down ships, implementing quieting technology, ending seismic surveys and transitioning to low-noise renewable energy sources, creating protected areas, and developing international regulations |
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What You'll Learn
Human activities like shipping, boating, and energy exploration
Commercial shipping and cargo ships are significant contributors to the increasing noise levels in the ocean. The propulsion systems and machinery of these ships generate substantial underwater noise. Cavitation, occurring at the propeller blade tips, is a particularly notable source of noise. When the rotating blades cause a drop in local water pressure, bubbles form, creating cavitation. Additionally, the flow past a ship's hull generates broadband sound, especially at higher speeds. The noise produced depends on factors such as ship type, size, hull shape, propulsion system, speed, load, and sea conditions. For instance, a 54,000-gross-ton container ship traveling at 21.7 knots can emit noise levels as high as 188 decibels.
Navy vessels engaged in energy exploration, particularly oil and gas exploration, also contribute to ocean noise pollution. The use of sonar and seismic surveys, including air guns, to locate new energy sources can emit sounds that penetrate deep into the ocean. These activities can interfere with the natural sounds marine mammals use to communicate and navigate their environment.
Recreational boating and jet ski traffic also add to the overall noise levels in coastal areas. While individual boats may produce less noise than large cargo ships, the cumulative effect of multiple recreational vessels can still impact the ocean soundscape and disturb marine life.
The impact of ocean noise pollution on marine life is profound and far-reaching. Marine mammals, such as whales and dolphins, rely on underwater sounds for essential life functions, including finding prey, avoiding predators, locating offspring, and mating. Ocean noise pollution can disrupt these natural behaviors, hinder communication, and cause stress and panic in these animals. It can also lead to indirect injuries, such as decompression sickness and skin damage, when marine animals flee from loud noises too quickly.
Addressing ocean noise pollution requires a combination of technological advancements and regulatory measures. To reduce noise at its source, emerging technologies like "marine vibroseis" can be used instead of airguns in seismic surveys. For shipping, optimizing propeller design and slowing down ships can help lower noise levels. Additionally, transitioning to renewable energy sources and adopting quieter construction methods can also mitigate noise pollution. Organizations like the WWF and the International Maritime Organization are advocating for mandatory regulations to reduce the impacts of ocean noise pollution and protect marine ecosystems.
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Negative impacts on marine life and ecosystems
Ocean noise pollution has been increasing over the past few decades, threatening the natural soundscape of the marine environment. This type of pollution is often overlooked, but it has severe negative impacts on marine wildlife and ecosystems.
Marine mammals use underwater sounds to communicate with their young, search for food, find mates, and avoid dangers. Human-made noise, such as propeller cavitation from shipping, sonar from navy vessels, and construction noise, can interfere with these natural sounds and negatively impact the behaviour and health of marine mammals. For example, increased ship noise has caused bottlenose dolphins to simplify their vocal calls, which may reduce the effectiveness of their communication. Similarly, loud shipping noises around Californian shipping lanes have caused whales to abandon their critical feeding grounds, depriving them of essential nutrients and threatening their survival.
Noise pollution can also cause auditory masking, where the perception of one sound is affected by the presence of another. This can lead to cochlear damage, changes in individual and social behaviour, altered metabolisms, and hampered population recruitment, ultimately affecting the health and service functions of marine ecosystems. For instance, some studies have shown that anthropogenic noise caused a reduction in the catch rate of some commercial marine species.
The effects of noise pollution on marine life are species-specific and can vary depending on the life stage of the organism. Most studies have focused on adults, and there is a lack of research on the impacts of noise on larval and juvenile individuals, who may be more susceptible to noise pollution.
To address the issue of ocean noise pollution, international regulations and technological advancements are needed. This includes implementing policies for quieter technologies and sustainable practices, such as reducing propeller noise from ships and mitigating the sounds of sonar equipment. Scientific research and education are crucial for raising awareness and advocating for change to protect marine ecosystems from the harmful effects of noise pollution.
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Solutions: Slowing ships and quieting technology
One of the simplest ways to reduce noise pollution is to slow down ships. Research has shown that a 10% reduction in speed across the global fleet could cut shipping noise by 40%. Slower speeds also reduce the risk of whales being rammed by ships and lower the risk of decompression sickness, which can occur when loud sounds cause whales to panic and rush to the surface too quickly. Additionally, slower ships use less fuel and emit fewer greenhouse gases and air pollutants.
To further reduce noise, ships can maintain polished, clean hulls and propellers, and insulate engines. New ships can also be built with quieting technology, such as air lubrication systems (ALS), which generate a layer of bubbles under a ship's hull to reduce friction and muffle engine noise. Quieter propellers are another option, although they can be expensive to install. Another technology that targets propeller noise is propeller air ingestion and emission (PRAIRIE), which involves feeding air through the propeller shaft and blades.
Quieting technologies can also be applied in the renewable energy sector. For example, alternative low-noise concepts have been developed for pile driving, and air injection technology has been shown to have significant potential to reduce underwater noise pollution.
In addition to slowing ships and adopting quieting technologies, there are other measures that can be taken to reduce noise pollution. These include ending seismic surveys for oil and gas, keeping underwater noise out of important habitats at critical times of the year, and increasing the distance between vessels and animals. Policy changes, such as mandatory noise reduction regulations, can also help to ensure industry-wide action and protect ocean wildlife.
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Canada's national ocean noise strategy
Ocean noise pollution is a growing global issue, with human activities such as shipping, boating, and energy exploration causing increased noise levels in marine environments. These activities can interfere with the natural sounds used by marine animals for communication, navigation, and finding food, leading to negative impacts on their behaviour, hearing, and survival. As such, the Government of Canada has released a draft of Canada's Ocean Noise Strategy, led by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), to address this issue and mitigate the impacts of ocean noise pollution.
Canada's Ocean Noise Strategy aims to better understand and address the effects of human activities and climate change on the ocean's surface and below. The strategy is a national commitment, allowing for local and regional flexibility in its implementation. It builds on existing work and initiatives undertaken by Indigenous communities, provinces, territories, industries, universities, and environmental organizations across Canada.
The strategy focuses on strengthening national coordination and communication regarding noise-related initiatives. It aims to raise awareness among Canadians about ocean noise impacts and improve understanding of ecological stressors, such as human-produced underwater noise. By working with partners, the government aims to develop and improve measures to reduce the impacts of human activities on the health and quality of Canada's oceans and marine ecosystems.
One of the key objectives of the strategy is to protect the health of Canada's marine environment, ensuring the sustainable and environmentally responsible growth of the country's ocean economy. This includes efforts to minimize human-produced underwater noise and other stressors, such as excess nutrients, that can disrupt marine species and their ecosystems. The strategy also emphasizes Canada's role in international noise-reduction efforts, aligning with the work of the International Ocean Noise Coalition (IONC) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
Canada's Ocean Noise Strategy is currently in the draft stage, with the government seeking public feedback to shape the final version. This collaborative approach, involving Indigenous Peoples, industry stakeholders, and various partners, demonstrates Canada's commitment to preserving the quality of its marine environment and addressing the global issue of ocean noise pollution.
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International Ocean Noise Coalition (IONC)
Ocean noise pollution is a recognized form of pollution that has severe impacts on marine wildlife. Marine animals use sound to navigate, communicate, find food, locate mates, and avoid predators. The increase in human activities such as shipping, recreational boating, and energy exploration has led to rising noise levels in the ocean, which can interfere with these vital activities for marine animals, resulting in serious and sometimes fatal consequences.
To combat this issue, the International Ocean Noise Coalition (IONC) was formed. IONC is an alliance of over 150 groups, including non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and partners like the Animal Welfare Institute and the Ocean Mammal Institute, working together to address ocean noise pollution. IONC has representatives on every continent and was established to create a unified global strategy to combat human-generated ocean noise.
Since 2005, IONC and its partners have been actively raising awareness and advocating for international regulation of ocean noise. They have been working with the United Nations and other international forums to address the problem. IONC has also responded to specific issues, such as the US Navy's plans to expand the use of SURTASS LFA, which would increase underwater noise pollution in the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian Oceans, and the Mediterranean Sea.
The efforts of IONC and other organizations have led to a growing recognition among international institutions of the threat posed by ocean noise pollution. The United Nations, through the UN Secretary General's report and successive resolutions, has acknowledged underwater noise as a major threat to whales and other marine life, calling for further studies and consideration of its impacts. Additionally, the International Maritime Organization has developed guidelines for managing underwater noise, and organizations like WWF are advocating for mandatory regulations to protect marine mammals and noise-sensitive species in the Arctic.
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Frequently asked questions
Ocean noise pollution is the worst in places where there is a high level of human activity on or under the water, such as shipping, boating, and energy exploration. Some of the noisiest areas include the Salish Sea, Gulf of St. Lawrence, Bay of Fundy, and areas off the eastern seaboard of Canada where there is active oil and gas exploration and production. The Arctic Ocean is also particularly affected by noise pollution due to shipping and industrial activities.
Ocean noise pollution can have significant impacts on marine life, especially marine mammals such as whales, dolphins, and porpoises, which rely heavily on sound for communication, navigation, and survival. Noise pollution can interfere with their natural behaviours, reduce their ability to communicate and locate prey, and even cause hearing loss or death in some cases.
To reduce ocean noise pollution, we can implement operational measures such as slowing down ships, regulating shipping lanes, and establishing protected areas. We can also develop and implement quieter technologies, such as building new ships with noise-reducing technology and transitioning to low-noise renewable energy sources.
Reducing ocean noise pollution can help restore the natural soundscape of the oceans and improve the health and functioning of marine ecosystems. It can also enable the recovery of marine life, including threatened and endangered species, by reducing the negative impacts of human-made noise on their behaviours and survival strategies.
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