How Sonar Affects Sea Life

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.

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.

One has probably heard the simile, “you must be blind as a bat!” Well in fact, this statement is false, bats are not blind. Formally known in the mammal family as Chiroptera, bats can be split into two sub orders known as mega-bats (flying foxes or fruit bats) and micro-bats. Typically, when bats are thought of it is commonly known to have the characteristics of having echolocation, or sonar vision, to aid detection of objects in complete darkness. As illustrated in Figure 1, echolocation is the use of sound waves made by the contraction of the larynx, these waves are then reflected back from the moving object to signal the bat.

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.

Bats are unique creatures that co-exist with the human race. Bats are the only mammals that developed the skill to fly. The bats' diets dispose of several annoying insects, maintains plant life, and keeps certain animal populations from escalating. Bats adapted to almost every part of the globe like North America, South America, Africa, and Alaska. Next time, try looking outside at dusk to see if you can spot this creature of the

As newer research began during the 1900s, the sonar started to make changes and new developments. Active sonar, provides pulses of sounds and listening for echoes. Gives warning if an object is in the path and returns an “echo” to the sonar transducer. The transducer can determine the range and orientation of the object. Passive sonar systems are used primarily to detect noise from marine objects (such as submarines or ships). Unlike active sonar, passive sonar does not emit its own signal, which is an advantage for military vessels that do not want to be found or for scientific missions that concentrate on quietly “listening” to the ocean. The purpose for both sonar’s is to detect the acoustic signals emanating from external

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.

The primary objective in “Moth tail divert bat attack: Evolution of acoustic deflection” is to test whether the spinning hindwing tails changes the target of the echolocation on a bat’s attack. This paper aims to observe the bat attacks on the moth tail, instead of attacking the moth’s wing or other body parts.

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

Cetaceans evolved to use sound as their way of sensing the environment, navigating, foraging, and selecting mates. Anthropogenic sounds have negative effects on marine life. Humans produce their own underwater sounds through activities such as aircraft overflights, boats and ships (vessels), tourism, stationary offshore activities, air gun firing, sonars, explosions, and methods to control movement of marine life (W. Johnson Richardson and Bernd Würsig, 1997).

Research makes life better. It gives humanity technology and medical progress. Research has improved the quality and length of human life. The world needs a place that gives us animals, water, plants, and all other things essential to life. There is only one place that carries all of these things. Ocean research is the path to a greater future.

It is very important that waves are continually monitored and recorded. Waves are not necessarily important to the ocean itself but it makes a huge difference to the people who live on coastlines. Waves are very important for those people. Waves can be beneficial and destructive. They can help predict climate and storms, and can also help to create beaches. Breaking waves help to provide energy that can affect the sizes and textures of sedimentation that create the beaches. Other waves pick up sand and sedimentation of beaches/ dunes and transport it to another location creating more beaches or even

One would not think to compare humans with cetaceans such as whales. The cetacean brain is comparable to the size of the human brain, and is as complex as the human brain, although its structure is evolved differently (Sato 1).Whales are similar to humans in that they are able to communicate, have many languages, and learn from one another. “With limited sight and sense of smell in water, marine mammals are more dependent on sound--which travels four times faster in water than air--to communicate” (Keely 1). This means that whales are mainly dependent on sound for things such as communication and echolocation. Echolocation is an important tool whales use to navigate their way around the ocean, and without communication, it is unlikely that whales or any species would survive for long. Whales communicate to find mates, teach their calves, show aggression, show intimacy, and warn others of predators.

Literally everyone who lives in cities knows that the world can be an extremely loud place. Marine life is immensely sensitive to under water noise. When the navy uses sonar, it causes noise in the world's seas, it agitates sea creatures that communicate through sound waves, such as whales. A study shows that whales' behaviors are altered by any exposure to sonar waves.

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,