Shhh ... To make ocean conservation work we should keep the noise down

Quiet marine zones would support ecological research, says new study

Date:October 8, 2015

Source:Elsevier

Quiet areas should be sectioned off in the oceans to give us a better picture of the impact human generated noise is having on marine animals, according to a new study published in Marine Pollution Bulletin. By assigning zones through which ships cannot travel, researchers will be able to compare the behavior of animals in these quiet zones to those living in noisier areas, helping decide the best way to protect marine life from harmful noise.

The authors of the study, from the University of St Andrews, UK, the Oceans Initiative, Cornell University, USA, and Curtin University, Australia, say focusing on protecting areas that are still quiet will give researchers a better insight into the true impact we are having on the oceans.

Almost all marine organisms, including mammals like whales and dolphins, fish and even invertebrates, use sound to find food, avoid predators, choose mates and navigate. Chronic noise from human activities such as shipping can have a big impact on these animals, since it interferes with their acoustic signaling -- increased background noise can mean animals are unable to hear important signals, and they tend to swim away from sources of noise, disrupting their normal behavior.

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Scientists warn of ocean conservation in wrong areas

Attempts to maintain biodiversity in the world's oceans could be targeting the wrong areas, with the seas around the UK as important as coral reefs.

That is the findings of a new report by scientists from the universities of Dundee and Portsmouth.

They examined the importance of each species rather than simply counting the number of species in a given area.

They found areas with fewer species, like those around the UK, were more affected by issues like pollution.

The researchers claim the study, published in the journal Nature, challenges conventional wisdom about what biodiversity means.

'Catastrophic collapse'

Professor Terry Dawson, from the University of Dundee, said: "Conventional global conservation priority has focused on tropical sites having high biodiversity richness in terms of species.

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