There are the noises we make in the air, and then there are the noises we make below the waves. This video shows how scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s plan to find out more about what kind of impact we’re having.
We know that oceans have gotten noisier over the last 100 years thanks to our own anthropogenic input: motors of our ships and tankers, noises and explosions from energy exploration and construction, and various loud sounds produced during naval operations. Research suggests these noises can seriously interfere with the sounds animals use for communication, whether they’re trying to find food, navigate, mate, or avoid predators. They can even endanger animals.
In October 2015, scientists on the ship Fulmar launched an acoustic device outfitted with a heavy anchor and a specially designed low-frequency hydrophone for picking up whale and motor sounds in the waters of the Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary off California. It’ll be there listening for two years, recording audio onto a hard drive. At the end of the two years, the device will be floated to the surface and the sound analyzed.
The idea is to develop a sound map of the Cordell Bank that includes its inhabitants’ sounds as well as our own anthropogenic clatter. From there, we’ll better understand the acoustic reality for life in this area in the ocean.
