Human-generated ocean noise from shipping, sonar, and industrial activity interferes with the acoustic communication and navigation of marine mammals causing chronic stress and injury.
Whales unable to communicate effectively due to shipping noise experience social disruption, reduced foraging success, and chronic stress from communication masking. Animals exposed to high-intensity sonar and seismic surveys suffer acute acoustic trauma causing haemorrhagic lesions, disorientation, and death. Fish in areas of persistent noise pollution show elevated stress hormones and altered behaviour. Dolphins and porpoises unable to navigate effectively by echolocation in noisy waters face increased collision risk and reduced foraging success. The cumulative welfare impact of ocean noise pollution across billions of marine animals is enormous.