Noise Pollution in the Ocean - Research Paper Example

Noise pollution in the ocean Introduction Ocean are known to be filled with many noises from the marine life, the coral reef,underwater earthquakes, ocean currents, wind on the surface of the ocean among many other natural sources of sound. In the past, the amount of noise in the oceans was optimum for the survival of all the marine species in the oceans but in the past decades, the ocean noise pollution levels from natural causes as well as human causes has increased the amount of noise in the oceans by more than ten times. Some of the marine life has been adversely affected by the increase in noise pollution in the oceans and their survival has been compromised. Most of the marine life species have evolved over the years to possess very acute hearing abilities which are affected by an increase in the noise under water. Naturally, most of the species in the oceans majorly depend on sound to detect danger and also to hunt for their food. Noise pollution masks the important sounds to the marine life and it also causes stress to the animals. This paper focuses on noise pollution in the ocean and addresses the three main animals that are affected and how humans contribute to the noise pollution in the ocean. The three main animals affected by noise pollution Cephalopods Giant squids are some of the ocean animals that are affected by noise pollution. The squids are injured by the noise and it could even lead to death if they are subjected to certain frequencies of sound for a long time. According to researchers who are set out to find out whether squids can hear, the results of their study showed that the sea animals can hear. Unlike humans, their hearing capability is limited to around 500 Hz. This means that the animals cannot perceive the high frequency sounds from animals like dolphin screeches. Recent study has revealed that Giant squids are affected by sound in the least expected way, which affects their balance. In the research experiment, the squids were placed in tanks and were then exposed to two straight hours sound at low frequency. The findings revealed that the animals suffered great damage to their statocyst tissue which is responsible for balance while navigating in the water. The exposure is traumatizing and the lesions in their statocysts get worse (Coghlan 15). There are many types of squids and they have many relatives in the Cephalopods groups of marine species. The Octopus is also in the group and it is also vulnerable to noise pollution. Octopuses have also been affected in a similar way as the Squids by the low frequency noise in the ocean (Heimbuch Para 8). Squids live in various parts of the sea, some may be found in the deep sea while others may be found at more shallow depths. Noise from the activities on the surface of the sea or in the deep sea during fishing done by humans is transferred very fast across the water and it can reach the animals at all depths. Cephalopods are therefore very vulnerable to trauma and damage from noise pollution that is on the increase in the ocean. Cephalopods like the Humboldt Squid have been one of the most adversely affected marine species by noise pollution in the ocean over the past decade. In 2004, thousands of the squids died and were washed to the coast in Oregon. In 2008, a similar case occurred in the same region (Mulvaney Para 1). At that time, the marine biologists had no idea what was causing the mysterious deaths on such a large number of squids. Biologists undertook a study on four species of squids to determine the damage caused by low frequency noise on the animals. After a short time of exposure to the noise, the biologists observed that the hair in the statocysts of the animals had experienced damages. The nerves in the statocysts later swelled and soon after, holes would form in the statocysts. The findings were very shocking since the sound used was very low in frequency and the biologists were worried that exposure to higher frequencies of noise to the squid would have worse effects on them. Whales Whales rely on sound for communication with members of their species. The Humpback Whales are known to screech in order to communicate with other whales while they are navigating the seas. An increase in the noise pollution levels in the oceans has caused a drastic change in the behavior of the whales. Noise from human activities in the deep sea makes it difficult for the whales to communicate over long distances in the water (Willson Para 3). Their breeding patterns have been distorted since they cannot communicate effectively during the breeding seasons, thus locating each other is a problem. The increased noise in the oceans has deafened many whales and they have been separated from their members since they have no other means of communication. This has caused some whales to swim from the deep seas to the beaches due to the stress brought by isolation. In order to effectively communicate, the whales are forced to use more energy to make sounds that are louder than the background noise. The Humpback whales feeding has been affected by noise pollution in the ocean. This has happened as a result of the small zooplanktons being drastically affected by the noises. Biologists have observed that most of the fish larvae are damaged by high frequency noise and their navigation in the sea is also compromised by the noise. This in extension has affected the availability of food for most whale species, with some starving to death. Those left are struggling to hunt for food, spending too much time in search of food has affected they social behavior as well as their breeding patterns (Willson Para 4). Noise pollution coming from the deep sea where the whales normally live has caused them to move to the shallow parts of the oceans as they try to escape from the noise that injures them. These new habitats do not have sufficient food for the whales and some are forced to go back to the harmful noise regions once in a while to feed (Willson Para 4). These animals use very high frequency sounds to confuse their prey while they are hunting. Noise pollution has caused their hunting skills to be less effective in the deep seas. As the whale move closer to the beaches where human activities are the main contributor of noise pollution, they get stranded on where else to escape the harmful noise. Some of the whales trapped in the beaches have been observed to have brain hemorrhages. This is an indicator that the high frequency noise that has increased in the oceans is very harmful to the animals. Background noise has crippled the navigational ability for most whales. Biologists have observed that when the levels of noise pollution in the deep seas are too high, most of the whales do not swim. They just stay in the same area stranded and stressed since they are unable to project their sound to communicate or they are unable to identify the sound from the smaller animals they predate on. This has been particularly so in the species of toothed whales which rely on sound for navigation since they use echolocation for their sea navigation. Stranding and beaching behavior has increased in the past decade and biologists believe that this is due to the increase in noise pollution in the oceans. Most whale die after beaching themselves due to dehydration and the initial injuries caused by the high frequency noise they were initially trying to escape from (Willson Para 5). Whales use the sound projected from other whales to find them during the breeding season. The sounds are projected in the form of songs which help the whales to migrate to the breeding grounds then back to the feeding zones. Human activities like transportation through ships which may alter the frequency of the whale’s sound with their own from the ships make it very difficult for the whales to navigate the sea. Whales use sonar in their navigation in the sea. Naval sonar from human activity causes the whales and dolphins to surface too fast leading to internal injuries due to the sudden changes in pressure (Willson Para 5). Most whales develop brain hemorrhage as they escape fast deep or up the ocean from harmful frequencies of sound. The sudden bursts of sounds from human activities deep in the oceans or on the surface travel fast and wide in the ocean and one sound burst affects a vast area of the waters. Sonar from the ships propellers may mislead the marine life to follow the ships. The whales sometimes fail to distinguish between the sounds from other members of their species with that from the ships and they follow the ships instead. This has also caused many whales to lose their young ones in the process of migrating from one region of the sea to another. The young ones get confused and they lose track. In an attempt to find out which frequencies make some species of whales to towards the land, scientists have found out that the low and mid-frequency sonar that is commonly used by the military ships from various nations’ navy team may be linked to the increase in the behavior. In 2000, the Bahamas beaches were filled with whales. This was attributed to the US navy ships which used sonar near that region. Some of the whales had suffered injuries in their internal organs due to the sound and they were physically traumatized. The whales also revealed that the sonar had affected their diving patterns. They may have surfaced too fast causing the decompression sickness that they portrayed (West Para 4). Dolphins, which are closely related to whales, also suffer from sonar used by the navy. In their case, most of them get stressed and even suffer deafness but unlike whales, they do not strand. Small Fish Fish found in schools in the oceans rely on sound for communication, hunting and protecting. In using sound, the fish are able to travel to the areas where they are guaranteed to find food and where they are free from predators. Noise pollution has increased the background sound in the oceans especially in the deep seas where most of the fish species are found. This has cause disorganization in the schools of fish from the same species that stick together for survival purposes. The fish are unable to communicate with each other freely since unlike the whales and the dolphins, they do not produce high frequency sounds (Heimbuch Para 1). The background noise in the oceans overlaps their communication sounds as well as the sound from their predators, leaving them susceptible to being easy preys. This has caused some of the fish species in the vulnerable zone to go extinct since they lack survival skills, which has been compromised by noise pollution in the ocean. Fish in the ocean have to adapt themselves to the harsh environment where they either eat or get eaten by their predators. Most fish have special ways that they have been adapted to and they use them to fight off their enemies. Like all the other wild animals, fish are also territorial animals and they fight to occupy certain regions in the ocean where the water temperature is optimum and the ocean currents are not too hard or even where there is plenty of food (Heimbuch Para 1). Some species use sound to wade off their enemies. Noise pollution has threatened to take this ability from the fish since most of their predators have either been deafened by the high frequency polluting noise or the background noise from other sound sources overlaps their fighting sound. The fish can no longer work as units to fight off their enemies some of them are already deaf. The schools of fish are left helpless and have a very difficult time finding territories with sufficient food. They become stressed due to the hunger and some of them have been observed to split from the groups to survive on their own because the groups are no longer effective. When fish eggs hatch, the young one rely on their parents sounds to find food. The parents make certain noise that attract the fish towards them and as they lead them to get food. After a few weeks of hatching, the baby fish have to look for a suitable habitat. They move away and as they look for better habitats, the sounds from different objects on the ocean surface and in the deep ocean may attract them leading them to unsuitable habitats or into traps where predators kill them. The young fish rely on the sound from the reef and they follow it to find the most suitable location to settle (McDermott Para 1). Noise pollution has posed a very great challenge to the young fish since it masks the reef noise and introduces other attractive noises that mislead them. This has subsequently threatened the existence of some of the fish whose hearing ability is not as high as of other marine species. Research done by biologists to investigate the effect of noise pollution in oceans on fish revealed that they have the ability to learn to follow different sounds. The researchers picked young fish from the ocean and placed them in tanks fitted with speakers to produce sound resembling the natural reef noise. In another tank, some of the fish were subjected to a mix of noises that were not natural in the ocean. After sometime the fish were placed in a tank with two outlet tubes where one led to the tank with natural reef sound and the other had the mix sound. It was observed that all the fish chose the natural reef sound apart from those which had been subjected to the mixed sound. They could remember the sound and they followed it (McDermott Para 5). This reveals that the fish in the sea can be compelled to follow polluting sounds from the ships and boats through learning to hear those noises. This is very risky for their survival since they may follow the vessels to parts of the ocean where there is no food or a predator infested zone. How humans contribute to noise pollution in the oceans One of the greatest contributors to the Noise pollution in the oceans today is the transportation vessels in the oceans. As the cargo ships and the navy ship cruise through the oceans, their propellers and engines produce mid frequency noise that travels deep and wide through the water. Water conducts sound better than air hence even the smallest sound can be conducted across a large area of water. The navy ships use sonar systems as they cruise through the waters. Whales and dolphins use sonar in their navigation; therefore, the ships confuse them as the frequency of their sound overlaps that from the animals, making navigation a very big challenge (Gillepsie 73). Small motor boats also produce a lot of noise in the oceans. Oil and underwater minerals mining is another contributor to noise pollution in the oceans. As the miners drill deep into the ocean floor, the noise and the vibrations are conducted to the deep waters where marine animals live. Sometimes the mining activities may force the miners to use explosives to break hard surfaces. The noise that the explosives produce may not be heard by the miners in the ships on the surface of the water but for the animals in the water, the noise is very disturbing. Submarines that the miners use under water also cause a lot of noise disturbance in the ocean. When they are constructing mining sites on the surface of the oceans, most of the noise is conducted from the solid material to the water and the noise is projected over vast areas of water. The construction process may take many months to complete; hence, the animals who inhabit those areas suffer from the constant noise (Weilgart 1100). Scientists who test explosives in the oceans also contribute to the noise in the oceans. Nuclear weapons testing that have been done in the deep seas produce very high frequency sound that shocks the marine animals and kills most of them. A nuclear explosion under water produces almost the same amount of noise as an underwater earthquake. The noise is heard from thousands of miles away in the water and it may damage the hearing of the animals in the water. Navies from different countries also conduct their war practices in the oceans erecting dummy targets in certain parts of the sea and shooting explosives to hit the targets. This causes abrupt ocean noise that is too loud for animals to bear (Weilgart 1108). There are also noises that the fishermen introduce to the ocean waters to attract fish while some other frequencies they use repels the unwanted species of fish. This is theoretically a good move since it helps in reducing the number of trapped unwanted fish types but on the other hand the noise may harm the other species. The noise may also confuse other types of fish who are able to perceive it. Different types of fish have different hearing abilities. The fishermen have done ample research to determine the specific sound frequencies that attract their fish of interest and the sound frequencies that repel the unwanted species. Fishermen for instance use Acoustic deterrent instruments to prevent them from competing with them for fish in the fishing areas in the ocean (Kivi Para 5). The devices used can create very loud noises that pollute the ocean. They fail to put into consideration that the various sound frequencies they use might be harmful to some of the marine animals. Scientific research on global warming has introduced the acoustic thermometry system of temperature measurement in the oceans. The process involves projecting low frequency sounds into the ocean and measuring the sound wave travel. Sound normally travels at different frequencies depending on the temperature of the water. In the process of obtaining the ocean water temperature, scientists cause a lot of disturbance and potential harm to the marine animals with their sound reliant instruments (Yang 115). The process of following up the global warming effect on the water is very important but the technique used to measure the ocean temperature contributes to the noise pollution in the ocean. Conclusion Noise pollution has adversely affected a huge population of the marine life in the oceans. Some of the animals that have been worst affected by the increase in noise pollution in the ocean are the giant squids, some whale species and the small fish found in the ocean. Noise pollution has made communication among the animals to be a huge challenge especially because it is their main mode of communication. The animals produce sounds that attract those from their species and they are able to stick together. They also use the sound to scare off their marine enemies. Noise in the ocean sometimes overlaps the animal’s communication sounds making it difficult to communicate. The animals are also unable to navigate the waters due to the noise. Some frequencies of sound cause internal injuries to the marine animals leading to deafness or even death in severe cases. Humans are responsible for the increase in noise pollution. Human activity in the oceans produces a lot of noise. These include transportation, mining, fishing and scientific experiments. Works Cited Coghlan, Andy. “Noise pollution pulps squid organs”. New Scientist 210.2808 (2011): 15. Print. Gillepsie, Alexander. “The Precautionary Principle in the Twenty-First Century: A Case study of Noise Pollution in the Ocean”. International Journal of Marine & Law 22.1 (2007): 61-87. Print. Heimbuch, Jaymi. Giant Squid are Killed By Ocean Noise Pollution, Study Shows. Tree hugger, 2011. Web. 12 July 2012. Heimbuch, Jaymi. Noise Pollution Harms Fish Populations, Locations, Habits. Tree hugger, 2010. Web. 12 July 2012. Kivi, Rose. Sources of Anthropogenic Noise in The Ocean. Bright Hub, 2012. Web. 12 July 2012. McDermott, Mat. Ocean Noise Pollution Leads Baby Fish Away From Good Habitat. Tree hugger, 2010. Web. 12 July 2012. Mulvaney, Kieran. Ocean Noise Pollution Blowing Holes in Squids’ Heads. Discovery News, 2011. Web. 12 July 2012. Weilgart, L. S. “The impact of anthropogenic ocean noise on cetaceans and implications for management”. Canadian Journal of Zoology 85.11 (2007): 1091-1116. Print. West, Larry. Why do whales and Dolphins Strand Themselves on Beaches?. About.com Environmental Issues, 2012. Web. 12 July 2012. Willson, Judith. The effect of Noise Pollution on Humpback Whales. eHow, 2012. Web. 12 July 2012. Yang, T. C. “Temporal coherence of sound transmissions in deep water revisited”. Journal of the Acoustical society of America 124.1 (2008): 113-127. Print. Read More