A Strategy for Reducing Underwater Noise Pollution
Click on the 'Listen' button above to hear this interview.
The singing world underwater is filled with whales, fish, and other species that use sound like grunts, whistles, drumming, and sonar for various reasons — to forage, to find mates, and to avoid predators. But human-generated noise from ships, drilling, and industrial work often interferes with these vital behaviors.
In order to fix this problem, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released The Ocean Noise Strategy Roadmap — it's a push for more research on the impact of these sounds on the creatures below, and outreach to other governmental, military, environmental and industry groups.
Michael Jasny is director of the Marine Mammal Protection Project, and the Land & Wildlife Program for the Natural Resources Defense Council. He teamed up with a group of biologists to raise concern to the Obama Administration, comparing the rising level of noise to a growing smog.
Jasny says the effects on marine life are wide-ranging, and hopes the Roadmap is a step in the right direction. Click on the 'Listen' button above to hear the full interview with Jasny.
