Sonic SeaImpacts of Noise on Marine MammalsAll that is needed is the political will to make these solutions mandatory.SHIPPINGImproved propeller designs will reduce ocean noise and save fuel.SEISMICCompanies can ensure test sites are free of marine mammals before setting off the acoustic bombs used to map the ocean floor and indicate likely oil deposits.SONARIf marine mammals are present, navies can delay their training exercises which sweep the ocean with an extremely loud signal as part of training to detect submarines. A new film created by IFAW and Natural Resources Defense Council, Sonic Sea immerses viewers in the symphony of natural sounds upon which whales, dolphins and other sea animals depend for survivaland introduces the jarring cacophony of human-made noises that has exploded over the past century.Narrated by Rachel McAdams and featuring Sting, Jean-Michel Cousteau, Dr. Sylvia Earle and other ocean experts, Sonic Sea offers solutions and hope for a quieter ocean, and underscores that the oceans destiny is inextricably bound to our own.Shipping, naval sonar and seismic exploration are interrupting whales and dolphins ability to understand and navigate their world, to find each other, and even to survive.Fortunately, simple solutions exist to mitigate these problems. IFAW | International Fund for Animal Welfare 290 Summer Street Yarmouth Port, MA 02675 | Tel: +1 (800) 932 4329 | Email: infoifaw | ifawOver the last 100 years or so, increasing levels of anthropogenic noise from shipping, oil and gas exploration, naval sonar training, construction and other activities have begun to drown out the oceans natural sound. For whales, dolphins and other marine life, this has resulted in a myriad of impacts, including stress, deafness and avoidance behaviors such as beaching themselves, diminished feeding opportunities and even death.To date, much of the effort made to mitigate ocean noise has focused on safety: trying to spot marine mammals within a few hundred meters of a powerful piledriver or airgun array, and pause operations until they have gone and are no longer at risk of direct injury. But this approach fails to address the fundamental threat that ocean noise poses to marine ecology, systems and habitat. Around the world the scientific community and policymakers have increasingly urged noise reduction and habitat conservation as the way forward in management of this global problem, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the European Union (EU), the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and other authorities have begun to take up the call. On the industry side, noise-quieting technologies are gradually becoming available for offshore construction, oil and gas exploration, commercial shipping, and other activities, but require regulatory intervention to further develop and bring to market.To learn more go to ifawIFAW | International Fund for Animal Welfare 290 Summer Street Yarmouth Port, MA 02675 | Tel: +1 (800) 932 4329 | Email: infoifaw | ifaw