Underwater Noise from Arctic Shipping: Impacts, Regulations and Recommendations
Marine mammals, including whales, walrus, and seals, rely heavily on sounds for survival. The Arctic soundscape has long been shaped by their clicks and calls. The rapid loss of summer sea ice that's been observed in recent years is opening this once largely inaccessible region to ship traffic....
Format: | Report |
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Language: | English |
Published: |
World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
2017
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Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://issuelab.org/resources/27416/27416.pdf https://issuelab.org/permalink/resource/27416 |
Summary: | Marine mammals, including whales, walrus, and seals, rely heavily on sounds for survival. The Arctic soundscape has long been shaped by their clicks and calls. The rapid loss of summer sea ice that's been observed in recent years is opening this once largely inaccessible region to ship traffic. The low-frequency sounds that ships generate propagate efficiently and travel vast distances in deep water marine environments. This means that the Arctic is becoming noisier, which could have a profound impact on marine mammals. |
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