The ocean noise pollution issue first came up on the general public’s sonar back in 2000 when the Navy was proposing a long distance submarine communications program called “Surveillance Towed Array Sensor System – Low Frequency Active” or “SURTASS-LFA” (in…
Tag: strandings
Noise Awareness Day gets wet
Today, April 25 2013 is “International Noise Awareness Day.” Founded in 1996 by the Center for Hearing and Communication it was designed to promote awareness of the dangers of long-term exposure to noise – in humans. 1996 was really just…
Seismic Surveys and Whale Strandings
In the last couple of weeks evidence has come forth associating seismic airgun surveys with catastrophic strandings of marine mammals. The Falkland Islands are the site of two mass strandings of pilot whales, one in March 2011 of 400 whales,…
A little information about a deep subject
As this newsletter goes out the Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management (BOEM) is taking public comments on “Geological and Geophysical activities” of the Atlantic coast of the US, from the tip of Delaware to mid-Florida. This area, along with…
Oil and Gas exploration implicated in dolphin strandings
Over 675 dolphins have been found dead along the Florida to Texas Gulf Coast since February 2010. Initially people suspected that the BP oil spill and dispersant use might be to blame. A report from NOAA corroborates this with a…
Boa Vista Cape Verde Stranding
I’ve just received news from ocean noise coalition member Sigi Luber about a mass stranding of Rough Toothed dolphins on Cape Verde. There seems to be over 50 that began hitting the beach last Tuesday Oct 20. Sigi sent an…
Acoustic Harassment Devices potential cause for whale strandings
In response to our last article on noise impacts on terrestrial animals, OCR Board Member Seven Lutz sent out this London Times Online article about an increase in bottlenose whales stranding in Whales and Scotland. One potential cause indicated in…
March 2007 Strandings
I have been notified of two recent stranding events associated with noise pollution. The first is an account of three separate strandings of beaked whales in Japan this May. The article also relates that over 81 whales have stranded in…