How is human sound affecting sealife?
CrowdScience
BBC
4.8 • 1K Ratings
🗓️ 17 July 2020
⏱️ 39 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Think of the oceans and an empty and peaceful expanse relatively untouched by humankind might come to mind. But is this peace an illusion? CrowdScience listener Dani wants to know if the noise of shipping and other human activity on the oceans is impacting on sea life.
To find out, Marnie Chesterton takes a deep dive to learn how marine animals have evolved to use sound; from navigating their environments to finding a mate or hiding from prey. She then speaks to a scientist who is using acoustic observatories to track the many ways human activity - like sonar and shipping - can interfere.
Marnie virtually visits a German lab which tests the ears of beached whales, dolphins and seals from around the world to try and ascertain whether they suffered hearing damage, and what might have caused it. What other smaller creatures are negatively impacted by underwater noise? Marnie learns that acoustic trauma is more widespread than first thought.
As human life continues to expand along ocean waters, what is being done to reduce the impact of sound? Marnie meets some of the designers at the forefront of naval architecture to see how ship design, from propellers to air bubbles and even wind powered vessels can contribute to reducing the racket in the oceans.
Presented by Marnie Chesterton. Produced by Melanie Brown for the BBC World Service.
Main Image: The front of a humpback whale underneath the sea in Shetland Islands, Scotland, December 2016. Credit: Richard Shucksmith / Barcroft Im / Barcroft Media via Getty Images
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Take some time for yourself with soothing classical music from the mindful mix, the Science of |
| 0:07.0 | Happiness Podcast. |
| 0:08.0 | For the last 20 years I've dedicated my career to exploring the science of living a happier more meaningful life and I want |
| 0:14.4 | to share that science with you. |
| 0:16.1 | And just one thing, deep calm with Michael Mosley. |
| 0:19.4 | I want to help you tap in to your hidden relaxation response system and open the door to that |
| 0:25.4 | calmer place within. Listen on BBC Sounds. |
| 0:30.3 | You're listening to crowd science from the BBC World Service. I'm Marnie Chesterton and I'd like to take you on a quick trip to the seaside. |
| 0:42.0 | You're alone standing on a |
| 0:45.0 | standing on a sandy beach staring out to sea. It's calm, |
| 0:49.2 | maybe the mildest breeze and lapping of the waves against the shore. You can see the dark blue vastness |
| 0:57.0 | of the ocean stretching out to the horizon. And you know beyond that is yet more water. You breathe in the ocean air. Shut your eyes and listen to the gentle movement of the waves. |
| 1:12.0 | That's what you hear. Meanwhile under the waves it's a different story. |
| 1:20.9 | There's a loud party of ocean life going on down here. |
| 1:25.0 | And in recent decades, even louder humans have been gate crashing. |
| 1:30.0 | Listener Danny has been in touch with crowd science worried about how his |
| 1:35.4 | ocean-going habits may have contributed to the human noise that spills into the |
| 1:40.4 | sea. |
| 1:41.4 | Hi I'm Danny from the UK. |
| 1:46.2 | My question for crowd science is, what effect has the use of ocean-going tankers and cruise ships had on sea life. |
| 1:55.4 | The cacophony of sound produced by ocean-going transportation or goods and people. |
| 2:00.8 | It must be a nightmare. My wife and I have been cruising for many years. I have |
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