June 7, 2013 — Marine mammals, including those found in the Arctic, depend more on their hearing than other senses because sound travels well underwater. Bowhead whales; walrus; ringed, ribbon, and bearded seals; and other marine mammals rely on the sounds they make and hear to navigate, to contact one another, to court potential mates, to find food, and to avoid predators. Today, the rapid loss of summer sea ice is opening this once largely inaccessible region to ship traffic, oil exploration, and other industrial activities.
These changes mean the Arctic Ocean is becoming noisier—and that could have a profound impact on animals that rely on sound to survive.
Many questions about the cumulative impacts of noise, particularly anthropogenic—or man-made—sound, on the Arctic marine ecosystem are still unanswered. Future research should be conducted and monitoring should be designed to assess the sensitivity of marine mammals to noise and to determine what can be done to reduce or mitigate the potential impact of anthropogenic noise.
Read the full story at the Pew Charitable Trusts