The effects of underwater noise on marine mammals.

Abstract

The marine soundscape is made up of natural ambient sounds, biological sounds, and anthropogenic sounds. Natural ambient sound sources include wind, waves, rain, and ice. Biological sounds include calls emitted by marine mammals, fish, and crustaceans. Water conducts light very poorly but sound very well, which is why marine animals rely heavily on acoustics for communication and navigation. Did you know that fish talk underwater? Anthropogenic, i.e., man-made, sources of sound include ships, harbor construction, petroleum exploration, naval sonar, fish finders, etc. Acoustic ecology encompasses the relationships—mediated through sound—between organisms and their environment. An overview of marine acoustic ecology will be presented with focus on the effects of man-made noise on marine mammals. You will be able to immerse yourself in the underwater soundscape and listen to both man-made and animal sounds. The interference of noise with animal signals will be explored through masked hearing experiments. Come and test if you can hear whale calls in ship noise better than a trained beluga whale from Vancouver Aquarium.