Marine Animal Welfare

Marine Mammal Noise Pollution Science

How anthropogenic noise pollution from shipping, sonar, and industry affects the welfare and behaviour of marine mammals.

Key Facts

Anthropogenic ocean noise has increased by 3 decibels per decade since the 1950s
Cetaceans use sound for communication, navigation, and prey detection over thousands of kilometres
Military sonar has been linked to mass strandings and behavioural disruption in beaked whales
Seismic surveys for oil and gas exploration cause acute acoustic trauma in fish and marine mammals
Noise exposure causes chronic stress as measured by glucocorticoid levels in whales

Welfare Considerations

Marine mammal noise pollution is a pervasive and growing welfare threat affecting populations across global ocean basins. Noise disrupts communication, foraging, and breeding behaviour, causes physiological stress responses, and in extreme cases causes physical injury and death. Reducing the acoustic footprint of human ocean activities is both an environmental and a welfare imperative.

What You Can Do

Support organisations working on shipping noise reduction and marine noise policy
Advocate for seismic survey exclusion zones around critical marine mammal habitat
Choose ferry and cruise operators with commitments to underwater noise reduction