Back in the mid 1970’s Physical Oceanographer Walter Munk was evaluating the acoustical transmission characteristics of the ocean “sound channel” – an isothermal layer in the deep ocean that baleen whales use for long distance communication. His visionary work in…
Category: Public Policy
Great news for the Ocean!
Two bits of great news; one a consequence of focused actions, and the other an opportunity to focus ocean policies. September 1 was traditionally the opening of “dolphin season” for the drive fishery of Taiji, Japan. For years…
Supreme Court hears Endangered Species Act Case
Yesterday the Supreme Court heard the Navy Sonar case that originated in California early this year when the Whitehouse attempted to overrule a district court judgment on the US Navy’s proposed sonar exercises off of the California cost. The actual…
ESA and NEPA threats
While the following issues are not specifically about ocean noise pollution, they will impact the regulatory environment that allows us to protect our ocean from the “death of a thousand (ticker-tape) cuts.” Depending on how these issues fall, all of…