First Overfishing. Now Noise. How much can oceans take?

One curious thing about decision making at Scripps was the request to put its loudspeaker on the ocean floor within the then newly created Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. At the time, sanctuary officials refused permission. At least somebody has an idea of what a sanctuary is supposed to be for! So Scripps said its second choice was outside the sanctuary but well within an area "teeming with marine life, including sperm whales and elephant seals that are among the most likely to be affected by the noise," according to Richard C. Paddock, a Los Angeles Times staff writer in a May 1995 article "Coast Panel to Consider Ocean Noise Test." The proposed tests, he wrote, were to take place for 20 minutes every four hours for two or more years. At the time, a 6-month test was to cost $4.5 million. You can do the math on this.

In an AP story, Paisley Dodds wrote: "The key question now for researchers is how sound affects sea creatures, which detect noise and vibration through an auditory organ or a vein, called a lateral line, that runs across their body." He quotes MIT professor Baggeroer as saying, "What we now need to find out is if low-frequency sounds made by man can hamper communication between animals."

We haven't heard the last of this noise story. Let's hope marine life doesn't suffer more than it has to while we wait for more information.

More Information

• Scientists Defend Ocean Noise Tests, Richard C. Paddock, L.A. Times , March 24, 1994.

• "The Ocean is a Loud Place These Days" by Paiseley Dodds, Associated Press, March 24, 1998.

• Noisy oceans, by David Cromwell, Science Tribune , April 1998.

• Compromise on Ocean Noise Test, Richard C. Paddock, L.A. Times , May 10, 1995.

• Acoustic Thermometry of Ocean Climate: Marine Mammal Issues, by Eugene H. Buck, Congressional Research Service, May 12, 1995.

• Acoustic Thermometry Ocean Climate group web site.

• Cousteau Watch: Sonar - More bad sounds for whales, by Jean-Michel Cousteau, May 13, 1998, ENN.
  The copyright of the article First Overfishing. Now Noise. How much can oceans take? in Environment is owned by Kenneth Friedman. Permission to republish First Overfishing. Now Noise. How much can oceans take? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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