The impacts of underwater noise pollution

to marine life and solutions to the problem

1. Definition:
Noise pollution is defined as any disturbing sound that may bring adverse
effects on marine fauna.
2. The situation
The Earth’s oceans are a sophisticated ecosystem and home to a minimum of
230.000 diverse and prolific marine creatures. This rich biodiversity includes
whales, dolphins, fish, shellfish, invertebrates, sharks and seabirds.

Many species depend on vocalization to communicate, find mates, navigate

and migrate or even for their survival.
However, over the last few decades, man-made noise is posing many
profound threats to marine creatures. Noise pollution from human activities
could even lead to countless deaths of animals.

According to Bruintjes & Radford (2013), human-induced noise, also known

as anthropogenic noise, is a worldwide issue found in almost every terrestrial
and aquatic setting. For example, the releasing the sound of a passing boat
has negative effects on two predominant behaviors, namely, the excavation of
nests and the defense against predators. On top of that, anthropogenic noise
would impact the social interaction between dominant and subordinate
individuals.

Moreover, noise in the form of naval sonar or seismic surveys is proved to be

fatal to cetaceans in some cases. Whales have been detected to die within a
few hours, either by strandings or deaths at sea, following even a transient
and relatively short exposure to moderate levels of mid-frequency military
sonar (Fernández et al. 2005; NOAA and U.S. Department of the Navy
2001). From 1960, more and more hazardous sonars were utilized, there have
been more than 40 incidents of mass strandings involving Cuvier’s beaked
whales. Approximately 28 of these incidents coincided with naval maneuvers
employing sonar, near naval bases, or during seismic surveys. On the
contrary, between a long period of 1914 and 1960, only one mass stranding
of this species was reported. Whales seem to succumb to hemorrhaging in
their brain and heart, possibly due to decompression sickness resulting from
an altered diving pattern induced by a panic response to the noise.
Therefore, we really need to take actions to improve the soundscapes and
enable the recovery of marine life.

3. Reasons of underwater noise pollution

To put forward judicious and radical solutions to this problem, we need to
outline some driving forces of underwater noise pollution.

3.1 Shipping and Maritime Traffic

Global shipping plays a vital role in delivering goods worldwide, facilitated
by the popularity of online shopping. Each year, a significant percentage
from 80% to 90% of articles and commodities in the world market are
transported by ships. Perhaps, it comes with no surprise that commercial
shipping is the first to blame when it cómes to underwater noise pollution. It
is proved that a cargo vessel could emit nearly 200 decibels of noise- which
is louder than a jet engine at take-off. Furthermore, noise would travel faster
in water- four times faster than in the air- which means that noise from a ship
can exceed far in the sea, further exacerbating the disruption of marine life.

Various studies and researches have demonstrated that loud noise from
container ships would jeopardize marine species: it would lead to heightened
stress hormone levels in the critically endangered North Atlantic right
whales, influencing their reproductive and immune functions; diminished
foraging behavior in Southern Resident orcas, already grappling with scarce
prey resources; induced a state of immobility, sinking, and silence in
narwhals at comparatively low noise levels; resulted in poorer body condition
in Atlantic cod; triggered elevated breathing rates and metabolic activity in
European sea bass and eels; observed minimal or no toadfish eggs in noisy
environments; heightened predation risk in shore crabs; curtailed food uptake
and slower growth in oysters; and even contributed to a decline in the health
of seagrass.
There is a mounting concern that due to the demand for online shopping,
ships would be enlarged in size and engines in order to contain a growing
number of goods and commodities.

3.2 Naval Activities

Originally, underwater sonar ( short for sound navigation and ranging) was
utilized to detect potential hazards and search for unidentified objects such as
shipwrecks or even mapping the seafloor. Because sound waves would travel
in the sea faster than radar and light waves, sonar is very popular for
exploration and detection of objects under the water.

Although it is beneficial for navy activities, it is not the case for many
whales, dolphins, and other marine life. The utilization of sonar can bring
about injuries and, in some cases, fatalities. This is because sonar systems
produce slow-rolling sound waves reaching levels of approximately 235
decibels, surpassing the intensity of the world's loudest rock bands, which
peak at only 130 decibels. These sound waves can travel vast distances
underwater, maintaining an intensity of 140 decibels up to 300 miles from
their origin.

These pervasive walls of noise prove to be overwhelming for certain marine

wildlife. While there is limited knowledge about the direct physiological
effects of sonar waves on marine species, there is evidence indicating that
whales exhibit behaviors such as swimming hundreds of miles,, and even
beaching themselves to escape the disruptive sounds of sonar (Virginia
Morell, 2022).

3.3 Seismic surveys for oil and gas exploration

Seismic surveys make great contributions to the oil and gas industry by
offering essential tools for experts to detect gas and oil destinations. The
application of seismic surveys help scientists discover prospective resources
in the sea, mitigate risks and quantify reserves.
Marine seismic surveys employ airguns to generate seismic waves deep
within the ocean, aiming to identify potential oil and gas reserves. These
airguns emit repetitive and intense blasts, their noise penetrating the ocean
and extending deep into the seafloor. The explosions occur at regular
intervals, typically every ten seconds, persisting 24 hours a day and often
spanning weeks. Their penetrating sound travels through the ocean and
reaches miles into the seafloor.

Hydrophones, highly sensitive devices, capture the reflected high-intensity

seismic pulses from the ocean floor. Once processed, these signals provide
researchers with valuable information about the ocean floor's topography and
the underlying geological formations. This data aids in locating buried oil and
gas deposits, contributing to a comprehensive understanding of the subsea
environment.
Nevertheless, the seismic air gun's explosion, employed to survey the ocean
floor for oil and gas, can generate noise levels comparable to a rocket launch
or an underwater dynamite explosion.

Some of these intense sounds remain audible for hundreds of kilometers,

demonstrating that the impacts extend beyond merely affecting the quality of
life for marine animals, but also result in tangible consequences.

The problematic nature of these airgun blasts became evident through

research findings, which indicated that they could lead to both temporary and
permanent hearing loss, habitat abandonment, disruptions in mating and
feeding behaviors, beach strandings, loss of communication ability, damage
to animals' hearing and overall health, displacement of fishery populations,
and the mass mortality of zooplankton—a critical marine food resource.

3.4 Underwater infrastructure installation

Construction activities frequently entail the use of machinery, pile driving,

and various processes that produce substantial and enduring underwater
noise. This noise has the potential to disrupt the communication, navigation,
and mating behaviors of marine creatures, especially those that heavily
depend on sound for these essential activities. The interference caused by
such noise pollution can have adverse effects on the well-being and
ecological dynamics of marine ecosystems.
For instance, pile driving has been shown to induce a temporary threshold
shift in the hearing of marine animals. This shift implies a temporary
reduction in an animal's sensitivity to sound, potentially hindering its ability
to detect other important acoustic signals. It can be likened to the experience
of attending a loud concert and having temporary hearing impairment
afterward. For instance, experiments conducted in laboratories demonstrated
that harbor porpoises exposed to pile driving noise for six hours exhibited up
to a 5 dB reduction in hearing sensitivity at a frequency of 8 kHz. To put this
into perspective, a 5 dB difference is approximately equivalent to the noise
level distinction between a humming refrigerator and a percolating coffee
maker. While the porpoises were able to recover from this shift within an
hour after the exposure ceased, it raises concerns that pile driving noise,
sharing frequency ranges with the vocalizations of many toothed whales and
dolphins, has the potential to obscure these crucial social cues.

4. HOW TO TACKLE THE ISSUE

4.1 International works
 - Raise awareness about the detrimental effects of underwater noise
pollution among the general public, policymakers, and industries.
Educate stakeholders about best practices and available technologies to
reduce noise emissions. For example, noise has been recognized as a
growing threat by the UN since June 2005. Therefore, it is necessary
that the effects of underwater noise pollution be acknowledged among
global citizens thuỏugn social media sites or overseas campaign.

- Despite the growing scientific attention to ocean noise, global

regulatory efforts on marine acoustic pollution have been limited.
However, it's important not to assume that existing pollution and
biodiversity instruments automatically exclude noise from their scopes.
The broader obligation to reduce marine pollution may also apply to
noise. Recently, ocean noise and its impact on marine biodiversity have
gained recognition in various instruments, including the 1946
International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling, ACCOBAMS,
and ASCOBANS focusing on cetacean protection in specific seas, and
the 1991 Environmental Protocol to the 1959 Antarctic Treaty.

4.2 Nations and local authorities

- Commercial shipping stands as the predominant contributor to

underwater noise pollution. The vessels involved in shipping operations
produce low-frequency noise that shares similarities with the acoustic
profiles of many marine mammals. As global trade continues to
escalate, projections indicate a concurrent rise in the levels of shipping
noise pollution. Strategies aimed at mitigating this noise from shipping
vessels encompass alterations to propellers and/or hulls with routine
maintenance, the application of vibration isolation to machinery, the
enforcement of ship speed restrictions, and promoting the adoption of
fewer, larger vessels through incentives.

- Seismic surveys are primarily undertaken to explore oil and gas

reserves. These surveys utilize airguns emitting low-frequency sound
 pulses, with potential consequences such as auditory harm,
displacement, and heightened mortality among diverse marine species,
including mammals, fish, and zooplankton. A promising alternative to
airguns is the use of marine vibroseis, which generates comparable or
superior seismic data while emitting reduced noise.

- Several alternatives to traditional pile driving methods, one of which is

BLUE piling. This innovative approach replaces the conventional steel
ram weight of an impact hammer with a large mass of water,
effectively reducing the generation of harmful underwater sound.
Notably, some countries, such as Germany, have already implemented
restrictions on underwater piling noise, showcasing a proactive stance
in mitigating the impacts on marine life. These measures contribute to
fostering a more environmentally conscious and sustainable approach
to construction activities in aquatic environments.

- Innovations in emerging technologies, including the implementation of

quieter propellers, have already been devised and can be integrated into
both new and existing ships. Vessels can further adopt practices like
keeping hulls and propellers clean and polished, insulating engines, or
opting for the simplest solution—slowing down to mitigate noise.
Slowing down not only simplifies the approach but also provides the
additional advantage of reducing fuel consumption and minimizing
harmful emissions.

3.3 Personal actions:

- Learn about the sources and impacts of underwater noise pollution to

better understand the issue.
- Share information about underwater noise pollution with friends,
family, and colleagues to increase awareness within my community.
 - Contribute to or volunteer with marine conservation organizations
working to address underwater noise pollution. These groups often
conduct research, advocate for policy changes, and implement
conservation projects.
5. References
Fernández, A., Edwards, J.F., Rodríguez, F., Espinosa de los Monteros, A.,
Herráez, P., Castro, P., Jaber, J.R., Martín,
V., and Arbelo, M. 2005. ‘Gas and fat embolic syndrome’ involving a mass
stranding of beaked whales (family
Ziphiidae) exposed to anthropogenic sonar signals. Vet. Pathol. 42: 446-
57.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16006604/

Rick Bruintjes, Andrew N. Radford( 2013). Animal Behaviour. Context-

dependent impacts of anthropogenic noise on individual and social behavior
in a cooperatively breeding fish.( Volume 85, Issue 6, Pages 1343-1349).
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0003347213001462

Morell, V,. 2022. Why whales flee from sonar- sometimes to their death.
https://www.science.org/content/article/why-whales-flee-sonar-
sometimes-their-death