A journalist’s perspective on noise and marine mammals

Abstract

In the course of several years researching and writing Eye of the Whale (Simon & Schuster, 2001, 688 pages), the author interviewed a number of marine scientists about this subject and described at some length scientific findings over the past several decades. These pertained to California gray whales, their vocalizations, and the impact of various acoustical ‘‘playbacks’’ upon this species at different locations. In particular, the author described studies of Navy LFA sonar in California and of seismic oil exploration off Russia’s Sakhalin Island. Scientific opinion appeared divided over whether LFA sonar, especially, would pose a substantial threat to marine mammals. However, as regarding both LFA sonar and seismic testing, gray whales were observed to avoid certain regions they would otherwise normally inhabit. Subsequent interviews have confirmed the possibility of a severe threat to marine mammal habitat. During this process, much has also been learned about the ways and means to improve communication between journalists and scientists.