<
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/feb/04/cacophony-human-noise-hurting-marine-life-scientists-warn>
"A natural ocean soundscape is fundamental to healthy marine life but is
being drowned out by an increasingly loud cacophony of noise from human
activities, according to the first comprehensive assessment of the issue.
The damage caused by noise is as harmful as overfishing, pollution and
the climate crisis, the scientists said, but is being dangerously
overlooked. The good news, they said, is that noise can be stopped
instantly and does not have lingering effects, as the other problems do.
Marine animals can hear over much greater distances than they can see or
smell, making sound crucial to many aspects of life. From whales to
shellfish, sealife uses sound to catch prey, navigate, defend territory
and attract mates, as well as find homes and warn of attack. Noise
pollution increases the risk of death and in extreme cases, such as
explosions, kills directly.
Carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel burning are also making the
oceans more acidic, meaning the water carries sound further, leading to
an even noisier ocean, the researchers said. But the movement of marine
mammals and sharks into previously noisy areas when the Covid-19
pandemic slashed ocean traffic showed that marine life could recover
rapidly from noise pollution, they said."
Via Glyn Moody, who wrote "shipping is even more damaging - time to come
down on its pollution heavily"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
