Underwater noise Marine pollution

marine life can susceptible noise or sound pollution sources such passing ships, oil exploration seismic surveys, , naval low-frequency active sonar. sound travels more rapidly , on larger distances in sea in atmosphere. marine animals, such cetaceans, have weak eyesight, , live in world largely defined acoustic information. applies many deeper sea fish, live in world of darkness. between 1950 , 1975, ambient noise @ 1 location in pacific ocean increased ten decibels (that tenfold increase in intensity).

noise makes species communicate louder, called lombard vocal response. whale songs longer when submarine-detectors on. if creatures don t speak loud enough, voice can masked anthropogenic sounds. these unheard voices might warnings, finding of prey, or preparations of net-bubbling. when 1 species begins speaking louder, mask other species voices, causing whole ecosystem speak louder.

according oceanographer sylvia earle, undersea noise pollution death of thousand cuts. each sound in may not matter of critical concern, taken together, noise shipping, seismic surveys, , military activity creating totally different environment existed 50 years ago. high level of noise bound have hard, sweeping impact on life in sea.

noise ships , human activity can damage cnidarians , ctenophora, important organisms in marine ecosystem. promote high diversity , used models ecology , biology because of simple structures. when there underwater noise, vibrations in water damage cilia hairs in coelenterates. in study, organisms exposed sound waves different numbers of times , results showed damaged hair cells extruded or missing or presented bent, flaccid or missed kinocilia , stereocilia.