How Noise Pollution affects the Marine Life


Humans are creating a lot of noise everywhere. This noise pollution also affects marine life. Most marine animals are very sensitive to sound. Soundwaves can travel to a much longer distance in the water. These noises can prevent marine animals to predict their preys, communicate with their local groups, and sometimes prevent them to mate. Sonar technologies can be called one of the main reason for decreasing marine species. Dolphins and Whales are the most affected species due to noise pollution. Whales had to leave their feeding and mating areas due to the noise, they have experienced heavy stress in the noisy water areas.

Apart from these two, lobsters, crabs, tortoises and many other smaller fish species are affected due to noise pollution. Fishes communicate with each other through low-frequency sound waves which humans can't hear. Human created noises like sonar, ship horns, fishing noise, etc make it difficult to communicate with each other. Ship horns can travel hundreds of kilometres underwater, affecting all the marine species they encounter. Noise from the Seismic Airguns has been recorded 3000 km away. Noise has also the capability to cover or blanket the whole water area. In other words, noise can potentially make fishes deaf, unable them to hear each others' voice or to predict their prey. 

The marine ecosystem is affected the most due to noise pollution. Noise has created more problems underwater than it has on land. The increased seismic surveys since the last few decades resulted in a decrease in the number of whale and dolphin species. However, the species living outside the noisy area have been found to have no effect on their numbers. Sometimes these noises result in the immediate death of various species including the whales. Noise also damaged the migration of whales. Some whales were forced to change their migration routes. 

Fishes like Rockfish, Herring, Blue Whiting etc are the ones who show extensive signs of ear damage due to airguns. The loud noise from the airguns sometimes results in haemorrhages, and eventually death. More than 55 marine species have been noted to have a negative effect on these noises.

The ocean is also called the "silent world", but our activities have damaged this sweet, silent world. Heavy sonar active regions of the US, Spain, Hawaii, Grecce has caused many deaths of the marine species. These dead fishes eventually beached due to the waves. The beaching happens merely hours after the sonar activity. Hence it is now high time for us, we must stand together to save this innocent species. Nations must work together to solve this problem.

             
             

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