Underwater noise from shipping, sonar, and construction disrupts cetacean communication, foraging, and social behavior, causing chronic stress and sometimes acute injury.
Ocean noise pollution causes cetacean welfare harm across a spectrum from chronic disruption to acute injury. At the chronic end, persistent shipping noise forces whales to call louder and higher to communicate above ambient noise, a physiological and behavioral effort that reduces communication range and effectiveness. Social bonds maintained through acoustic contact are weakened. Foraging efficiency decreases when echolocation is masked. At the acute end, intense sonar triggers panic responses in beaked whales that lead to gas bubble disease and stranding. Both ends of this spectrum represent genuine welfare harm to individuals. Regulatory and technological solutions exist: vessel speed reduction reduces noise significantly; shipping route adjustments avoid critical habitat; sonar use protocols prevent the most acute impacts. Implementation requires political will and industry cooperation.