Have you ever wondered what you will hear when you are under the ocean? Maybe the sound of the waves? Maybe sounds of fish talking or simply nothing? For humans, the ocean might be a peaceful, quiet place. However, that might not be the case for marine life.
You might be wondering how sounds have affected the aquatic ecology. According to Weilgart (2018), marine species and planktons are extremely sensitive to sound wave. The range of hearing for marine species is around 5 Hz up to about 200 kHz. Majority of them are highly dependent on sounds to maintain critical life function such as communication, hunting for food and navigation.
The source of noise in the ocean consists of natural and anthropogenic sounds. Wave, rainfall, and lightning strike are some of the natural sounds. While anthropogenic sounds can be divided into two categories: I) high-intensity impulsive noise and II) low-frequency stationary noise (Peng, Zhao, & Liu, 2015). The high-intensity impulsive noise includes pile driving, underwater explosion, seismic exploration, and sonar application. While ships and vessels are mainly the ones that generate low-frequency stationary noise, coastal construction sites (e.g. oil platforms, wind farms) are also contributing to noise in the ocean.
Besides, the vessels are not sedentary, they move and traverse across the ocean. As a result, the noise produced is capable of spreading to different regions and it is difficult to measure the exact impact. According to Tani & Viviani (2016), sounds managed to transfer better in water than in the air (1484 m/s vs. 343 m/s). As sound waves are able to travel a long distance, it might blanket a large area and cause the fish to suffer from dysfunction (Weilgart, 2018). This might affect marine life detrimentally, causing body malformations, higher egg count, immature mortality, developmental delays, delays in metamorphosing and settling, and slower growth rates (ocean care, n.d.).
Although the impacts are not immediate, marine life affected by noise pollution is increasing over the decades. The multiple stranding events of whales and dolphins or event giant squid were spotted along the coastal area. After investigation, experts discovered that these species were suffering from internal organs injuries (Weilgart, 2018). Moreover, we are unable to truly identify the level of seriousness. We might be able to witness consequences of the impact such as stranding, but we are unable to quantify the damage on fish’s hearing.
An overlooked of noise pollution in the ocean.
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0DHEldqfIc
Noise pollution in the ocean is not as well reported compared to the noise pollution on the land. Luckily, the research on noise in the ocean has begun to flourish in recent decades. Hence, with the assist of technology, we will are able to study the impact of noise pollution and compose a more feasible solution for reduction or mitigation. As the public is still not well aware of adverse noise pollution impacts, further research and information dissemination is required to spread the importance and recognise such impacts.
We will try to share more information about noise pollution in the ocean. Do stay tuned for more!
Cheers,
Shee Wen & Nicole 
References
Ocean care. (n.d.). Silent Oceans: Causes of underwater noise. Retrieved October 09, 2020, from https://www.oceancare.org/en/our-work/ocean-conservation/underwater-noise/silent-oceans-causes-underwater-noise/
Peng, C., Zhao, X. & Liu, G. (2015), “Noise in the Sea and Its Impacts on Marine Organisms”, International Journal of environmental research and public health, vol. 12, no. 10, pp. 12304-12323.
Tani, G., & Viviani, M. (2016). Shipping and underwater radiated noise. Retrieved October 09, 2020, from https://www.sspa.se/shipping-and-underwater-radiated-noise