Anthropogenic noise from shipping, military sonar, and industrial activity causes significant welfare harm to marine animals that depend on acoustic communication for survival.
Ocean noise pollution causes both acute and chronic welfare harms to marine animals. Acute high-intensity sounds from military sonar can cause physical injury including haemorrhage and decompression-like symptoms in cetaceans, leading to strandings and death. Chronic shipping noise causes ongoing communication disruption, elevated stress hormones, and reduced foraging efficiency in cetaceans, fish, and invertebrates. Unlike many pollution types, noise pollution is technically reversible — quieter shipping technologies exist and speed reductions near critical habitats have been shown to reduce noise levels significantly. International shipping regulation on noise is a viable and impactful policy intervention.