UH to Research Sound Effects on Dolphins (from sonar)

[Dover]

UH to Research Sound Effects on Dolphins

The Associated Press
Tuesday, May 31, 2005; 8:20 AM

HONOLULU -- A bill passed by the U.S. House last week would provide $2.2 million to the University of Hawaii to research the effects of sound on whales and dolphins.

Environmentalists have argued that the technology such as sonar could harm sea life which use sound waves to communicate.
Paul Nachtigall, director of the Marine Mammal Research Program at Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, said there is a big concern about the hearing of animals in the ocean, particularly loud sounds placed in the water.

Researchers want to know what they can do to help, "but the difficulty is of 85 species of whales and dolphins, we only know what 11 species hear," he said.

Rep. Neil Abercrombie announced the inclusion of the money in the proposed defense budget Thursday and pointed out concerns over the connection between fatal whale strandings and loud sounds emitted into the ocean....cont'd

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/31/AR2005053100318.html