How Does Anthropogenic Noise Affect Cetaceans

Do you think underwater noises affect the ocean or it doesn't affect the animals? Noises are everywhere. People don't only make racket on land, but in the ocean to. Many boats and oil drilling affect the animals in the ocean like whales. Anyone that lives in the city knows that the world is a noisy place. Humans rely on many machines, planes, cars, trains, construction, and farming. Underwater noise affects certain species like whales.

In the early 1960’s, the highly intelligent and emotionally evolved Orcas (Killer Whales) were captured and taken from their pods (families) and their natural habitat. They were forced to live in captivity where they were trained to entertain the public while generating large profits for businesses such as SeaWorld Entertainment. However, that practice was eliminated altogether due to the unpopularity of Killer Wales in captivity and the inhumane way in which the young Orcas were captured in the wild. Today Killer Whale entertainers are no longer captured and taken from the wild as in the past but instead are bred in captivity where they are raised and trained from birth to be tomorrow’s performers. Many scientists and advocate groups for the ethical treatment of animals such as PETA have been raising this ethical issue for many years and have even proposed methods that would allow the animals to continue entertaining the public while

Cetacean bycatch in fishing industries has been a highly debated topic for decades and is still considered an ongoing problem(NOAA 8). However, when it is looked at in comparison, the problem of bycatch has already been solved as much as is possible while still allowing fishing industries to fish at all. Bycatch is defined as any marine life that is caught and returned to the sea, whether it is dead or alive(Brooke 2). Therefore, many marine animals that are considered bycatch are not harmed in any way. Including these animals, the national bycatch ratio is still low(Brooke 3). Many actions have already been taken since this has become an issue that has reduced bycatch by an incredibly large amount. In many areas, the amount of bycatch compared to the amount of fish that the fisheries in that area take in is only a small fraction(Brooke 3). There will always be bycatch in fishing, even if a single fisherman is fishing with a single

I believe that underwater noise has an effect on marine animals such as whales. Using information from the passages I will prove my point. Their numbers are declining rapidly and I believe that underwater noise has some involvement in the rapid decrease in their population numbers. The information given within the two passages will help prove my point.

When these sea animals are held in captivity, they help contribute to research of their species. Researchers at SeaWorld learned that mother killer whale’s vocalization repertoires were passed on to their calves from generation to generation. Basically the killer whale calves learn words from their mothers, like we do. Dr. Barlow from Busch Gardens learned the vocalizations of hippos when they are above and underwater. Using a lighted pad, they have trained hippos to respond to various tones when they are under the water. If sea animals were not held in aquariums or marine parks veterinarians would not be able to know what is healthy and not for their species when there might be something they have never seen especially when they are out in the wild.

Bottlenose dolphins produce a extensive variety sounds that are divided into two categories: pulsed emissions, i.e. echolocation clicks and burst-pulsed sounds; and non-pulsed signals, i.e. whistles (Caldwell et al., 1990; Janik, 2013) (Figure 1:2).

Cetaceans use sound extensively in both communication, hunting, and navigation. However as humanity continues to make use of the ocean we are constantly filling it with equipment that produces high amounts of sound. These devices are starting to have an impact on cetaceans worldwide, from mass strandings often linked to military exercises to area denials caused by busy commercial shipping lanes and seismic surveys. If consideration is not taken towards this problem now it could develop into something that could have degrading effects on cetacean populations in the future.

Recent Off-Shore drilling in the United States in the Atlantic Ocean has had a very negative effect on Bottlenose Dolphins. The noise caused from drilling has negatively affected their ability to communicate effectively. Recently off-shore drilling has increased to help create more jobs in America however, the Bottlenose Dolphins have been paying the price. Off-shore drilling creates lots of boat traffic around the drilling areas which interferes with the dolphins ability to communicate through echolocation. However the main interference with dolphins communication has been caused by seismic testing from these boats. Seismic testing is when loud blasts of compressed air are sent deep into the ocean to bounce off the seafloor to test to

Cetacean bycatch is an ongoing problem in the oceans of the world. Cetaceans are defined as whales, dolphins and porpoises(CBRC 1). Bycatch is “marine mammals that are “captured” but discarded”(Read 2). This happens when fishing industries are fishing for a certain type of marine animal and other marine animals are caught accidentally along with the intended catch. Many times, this leads to the death of the animal that was not meant to be caught, and the animal is tossed back into the ocean. This happens with all kinds of marine life, and it has caused the depletion of many different species. However, this is specifically bad for cetaceans, such as dolphins and whales, because they have such a long lifespan(Brown 2). They also take a very long time to mature(Brown 2). These factors make catching these animals very detrimental to the species as a whole because it takes longer for them to reach an age where they can reproduce(Brown 2). The population of many cetaceans have decreased exponentially. When there is someone watching the nets that cetaceans are accidentally caught in, many times they can be saved. However, there are only select few types of fishing methods that do this, and they are not of the prevalent fishing methods that produce cetacean bycatch. This is a problem because there is a connection between most living animals. If a certain part of the connection is eliminated, it will all fall apart. For example, the relationship between

Around the world, killer whale populations may be hurt by the effects of pollution mainly caused by toxins. Various chemicals, such as flame retardants, industrial pollutants, oils, and pesticides they have all been known to enter the oceans through waterways and they are all having a major impact on the killer whales. For now, It's safe for the killer whales because they want them to be well and keep them for long as possible.

Humans fish to survive and in doing so they will target specific species leading to overfishing. Sound pollution is causing issues with the wildlife of the ocean in how they communicate and move around. With human interaction comes trash which gets left in the ocean and affects many different species.

Today’s oceans contain more pollutants than they ever have before. With this increase in pollution, it has affected the way marine animals live. From recent studies that have been conducted there is an estimated 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic debris in the ocean (Duncan, et al., 2016). The amount of pollution that enters the ocean can be attributed to the fact that 85% of the debris comes from landfills and less than 7% of plastic is recycled around the world (Fardim, et al., 2016). The harm of such debris has been detrimental to the Sea turtles and the areas in which they live. In some cases, sea turtles have tried to venture to new parts of ocean to escape from the plastic that is in their current areas. Schuyler, et al., showed in 2016 an area in the Pacific Ocean roughly the size of Texas known as “Great Pacific Garbage Patch” contained 3.5 million tons of trash and would double in size by 2021. This caused the Sea turtles in that area to migrate south and out of their normal habitat. When they had migrated out of their normal environments the turtles begin to struggle as they were not accustomed to the area they were in. Furthermore, Duncan, et al., in 2016 said that nearly 70% of the sea turtles that occupied that area of the Pacific Ocean had been

There is no debate that one of the most attractive, human friendly and intelligent beauties in nature is the killer whale, more commonly known as the orca. The orca is in the dolphin family, but capable of learning human traits and freely interacting with them without causing any harm. Their curious behavior and acrobatic moves make us enjoy their company through watching and spending time in the waters with them. However, the gradual decline in the population of the orca is a worrying trend that sparks another kind of debate. Our interactions with killer whales is endangering their survival in the ecosystem, which should not be the case (BioExpedition 1). Our interaction with the

The constructions of the turbines alone are creating an effect on these mammals because of the frequency of noise that is emitted into the water. These frequencies disrupt mammal communication, location and location of other species around them.

Marine biologist play a key role in understanding climate change and identifying sustainable and profitable ways humans can use the sea and its resources. Marine biologist understand marine organisms needs in their habitats, ultimately helping protect species and reduce human threats. As experts in understanding marine habitats, marine biologist often form essential parts of relief teams. They respond to oil spills and chemical leaks, helping other scientist restore normalcy to local habitats. Sometimes, marine biologists influence other spheres, such as economics and law. They might analyze the effect of sonar on whales and seals, for instance, recommending best practices for reducing harm on those sensitive populations. Marine biologists understand how the ocean supports basic needs, and in turn relay that information to lawmakers, who establish protocols regarding human use of ocean waters and marine organisms. Marine biologist help develop ocean technology too, improving waste elimination, energy sourcing and extraction of key sources. A brief review of components of the marine environment, world food resources, climate control, air and water quality, transportation, and the ecosystem balance are important features that are studied by marine biology. So, understanding why marine biology is important is foundational to integrating a balanced approach toward management of the sea and proper stewardship of organisms,