Noise (human-made) is killing the whales and dolphins

[Dogmudgeon]

A BBC article about the efforts of the UK's Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society to combat oceanic noise pollution.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3680086.stm

The world's oceans are now so saturated with noise that whales and other marine mammals are dying, biologists say.

...

It (the WDCS --bkl) says key sources of undersea noise are the search for oil and gas, and the use of low-frequency military sonars.

...

It says there is evidence that noise is causing hearing loss in cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises), injuring them and causing them to strand themselves, and is sometimes killing them.

It also believes excessive noise is seriously interfering with cetaceans' ability to communicate with each other.

Sometimes, I just feel like giving up.

--bkl

[CrispyQ]

1. Humans suck.

[LisaM]

2. We found a harbor porpoise washed up on the beach last year -

San Juan islands (in Washington.) We called the whale museum to report it (they monitor this.) It was awful; it didn't look as if it had been traumatized in the water at all, but had a flesh wound that clearly had happened after it beached itself. We heard reports of this happening to at least 20 other small whales and porpoises. I was always against the military sonar anyway, but now I have a real story to tell people who claim it has no effect. It always makes them stop and think, too.

[brokensymmetry]

3. I hear you, BKL.

The next generation isn't going to get much, is it? :(