What are the effects of anthropogenic sound on marine mammals?
A variety of experiments have been done and observations have been made to determine how sound may affect marine mammals. Research suggests that increased background noise and specific sound sources might impact marine animals in several ways. The potential impacts include sounds that cause marine animals to alter their behavior, prevent marine animals from hearing important sounds (masking), cause hearing loss (temporary or permanent), or damage tissue. In at least a few well-documented cases there is a relationship between the use of mid-frequency sonar and the stranding of cetaceans, particularly beaked whales. Behavioral responses to sound vary greatly. In order to understand how anthropogenic sounds may impact marine life, the animal’s reaction to known sounds must first be measured. Observations of normal behavior, “control” or “baseline” data, provide the reference points for measuring any changes occurring during or after sound exposure. It is important to obtain baseline data
