Underwater noise: Causes, effects and solution approaches

Many marine animals use sounds to search for food and partners, for orientation, to communicate or to protect against enemies. But marine animals are increasingly disturbed, harassed and even injured by man-made noise. What sources of noise are there in the sea? Why is man-made noise so threatening to animals like whales or dolphins? And how can underwater noise be reduced? The German Maritime Museum in Stralsund has been pointing out the problem of underwater noise at its OZEANEUM site for some time, illustrating how the increasing artificial noise level threatens and destroys the habitat of marine animals: In the research project #HearingInPenguins, Deutsches Meeresmuseum, Universität Rostock, Syddansk Universitet and Museum für Naturkunde Berlin are researching the hearing ability of penguins, also against the background of man-made underwater noise: