A team of researchers is trying to understand how human-made sounds affect wildlife in the oceans. Then, how are the results?
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The research, which involved several marine animals ranging from invertebrates to whales, found ample evidence that marine fauna, and their ecosystems, are negatively affected by the noise they hear daily. This noise interferes with several things related to their behavior, physiology and reproduction, even in extreme cases, it can lead to death. Researchers suspect that human-caused noise is considered a prevalent cause of stress on a global scale and are calling for policies to be developed to reduce its impact on ocean ecosystems as well.
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The waves along the far undulating coastline are the sounds we mostly associate with the marine environment. But “soundtrack” Healthy oceans no longer reflect the acoustic environment of today’s oceans, that is, noise interfered with by man-made noise. A global research team set out to understand how man-made sounds affect wildlife, research led by Professor Carlos M. Duarte, a distinguished professor at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), opens eyes to the global prevalence and intensity of impacts of ocean noise. Since the Industrial Revolution, humans have made the planet, especially the oceans, more noisy through fishing, shipping, infrastructure development and other things. Moreover, it is possible that some activities also silenced the voices of marine animals dominating the pristine oceans before humans began exploring the oceans as one of the resources they wanted to “extract”.
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Sound sights are a very strong indicator of environmental health, as they have done in cities on land, researchers have replaced the sounds of nature across the oceans with human voices to see what impact they have. Destruction of habitats, such as coral reefs, seagrass beds, and seaweeds by overfishing, coastal development, climate change, and other human stresses, further silencing the characteristic sounds that guide fish larvae and other sea-dwelling animals to search for and settle in their habitats , in simple terms it might be said that the “house call” is no longer heard in many ecosystems and areas of these marine animals.
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According to the researchers, the anthropocene marine environment is polluted by man-made noise and must be restored to a more traditional climate. However, the current framework for improving ocean health ignores the need to reduce noise as a prerequisite for healthy oceans. As we know, the sound spreads far and fast underwater. What’s more, marine animals are sound sensitive living things, which they use as the main sensory signal guiding all aspects of their behavior and ecology. This makes ocean views one of the most important, and perhaps underappreciated, aspects of the marine environment, so the researchers are pushing to reduce noise levels in the ocean, so that it is possible for marine animals to return to using ocean sounds as their “senses”.
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The team began documenting the impact of noise on marine animals and marine ecosystems around the world. They assessed the evidence contained in thousands of papers to consolidate compelling evidence that man-made sounds impact marine life from invertebrates to whales at many levels, from behavior to physiology. The provisional conclusion of the review is that reducing the impact of noise from human activities on marine life is key to achieving healthier oceans. The KAUST-led study identified a number of actions that may have to pay but are relatively easy to implement to improve ocean health. In doing so, this will enable the restoration of marine life and the goal of sustainable use of the sea. For example, simple technological innovations have reduced propeller noise from ships and policies could accelerate their use in the shipping industry and generate new innovations.
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