Ocean Noise: A closer look at underwater sound pollution, its sources and solutions

A growing challenge which is emerging beneath the waves and threatens the balance of

marine life

is the

ocean noise pollution

. The main reason behind this pollution is the increase in shipping, underwater construction and resource exploration that causes harmful sound to travel through the seas. Thus, ocean noise is created by both natural and man-made sources which disturbs the vital behavior of marine animals such as communication, navigation and reproduction and this pollution is rapidly changing underwater environments. Therefore, it becomes important to know about it to find practical solutions for it to minimize the harm that it causes in nature. According to Treehugger, ocean noise affects the environment negatively. Let’s have a better understanding of this term in this article.

What is ‘Ocean noise’

Ocean noise refers to the different sounds that occur underwater which are primarily caused by various human activities as well as from natural sources. Human-made noise includes ship engines, underwater construction, military sonar and oil drilling whereas natural sources involve marine animals like whales and dolphins that have loud voices. This underwater noise pollution can disturb marine life as it can affect the process of communication, navigation and feeding behaviors. Thus, increased ocean noise levels can lead to stress, behavioral changes and even physical harm to marine animals. It is very important to keep the fact in mind that human activities should be done in a manner that does not either cause harm to marine animals or ocean health as well.

Sources of ocean noise

Ocean noise is caused by both natural as well as human made sources. Thus, different factors are involved in contributing to ocean noise. Some of the major factors involved in it are as follows:

Natural Sources:

Marine animals: Marine animals like whales, dolphins and fishes produce sounds for communication, navigation and mating that can lead to ocean noise.Weather and ocean activity: Factors such as wind, rain, waves and storms generate continuous background noise which can contribute to it.Geological events: Geological events like underwater earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and shifting tectonic plates create seismic sounds that are a major contributor to ocean noise.

Human made sources:

Commercial shipping: During commercial shipping, large vessels and cargo ships produce low-frequency engine noise that travels long distances that can lead to ocean noise.Naval and military sonar: High-intensity sonar that are used for navigation and detection can interfere with marine animal hearing which can cause ocean noise.Oil and gas exploration: Seismic airguns that are used to find underwater oil reserves release sound blasts that carry high frequency in them which can cause noise in the ocean.Underwater construction: Various activities like pile driving for bridges, wind farms and ports contribute to noise pollution in the oceans.Fishing and recreational boating: Motors, depth finders and other devices add to localized noise in the ocean that can contribute to ocean noise.

Effects of ocean noise

The effects of ocean noise are as follows:

Future challenges

The challenges that can be caused by ocean noise are:

Solutions for minimizing ocean noise pollution

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