Science of Underwater Noise and Disturbance (SOUND): Educator’s toolkit
This toolkit is designed to bring awareness of the Science of Underwater Noise and Disturbance (SOUND) on marine animals and to provide educators with fun, engaging, and hands-on activities that help reinforce learning themes.
Our goal is to provide the knowledge and tools that inform and empower individuals, as well as communities, to understand local conservation issues and contribute to evidence-based decision-making that improves stewardship of ocean soundscapes.
About the SOUND toolkit
The ocean is filled with a rich assortment of dynamic and complex sounds, from snapping shrimp, humming fish and singing whales, to waves, rain and earthquakes. Even in the deepest depths of the sea, where one might expect silence, researchers find a cacophony of sounds just as lively as above the surface.
The importance of sound for marine species
Sounds are critical to the survival of numerous marine species, as light rarely penetrates below the first few hundred meters of the ocean’s surface. Whereas light and chemical cues dissipate quickly underwater, sound can travel far and nearly 4.5 times faster in water than in air. This makes it an excellent means for rapid and reliable information exchange over long distances. Marine animals, from fish larvae to blue whales, have therefore evolved to use sound to carry out essential life functions such as communicating, foraging, and navigating.
An increasing global threat
Over the past century, anthropogenic or human-generated underwater noise, stemming from activities such as shipping, oil and gas exploration, and recreational boating, has become a major contributor to the ocean’s soundscape, and is projected to increase. It is a significant conservation concern as it can interfere with crucial acoustic signals marine species rely on for survival.
While evidence exists regarding the impacts of noise on an animal’s behaviour, development, and physiology, further research is needed to understand how these changes may translate into individual fitness and population-level consequences.
Finding solutions
Fortunately, there are many individuals and groups around the world attempting to mitigate underwater noise impacts on marine life. Also promising is the fact that unlike other sources of pollutants that are more challenging to target and remove, such as airborne carbon dioxide or persistent organic pollutants, anthropogenic noise is a point-source pollutant whose effects diminish quickly once the source is removed. By bringing awareness of underwater noise in our oceans, we aim to foster environmental stewardship, thereby protecting acoustic habitats and supporting a healthy marine environment.
