Apart from the risk of ship strikes, large vessels also emit low-frequency noises that can disrupt important behavioral functions for whales and potentially impair their ability to communicate and navigate. Degradation of the acoustic habitat can have consequences not only for whales, but also for other marine mammals such as walrus, and even fish.
"There is mounting evidence that human-generated sounds in the marine environment have negative effects on marine life," said Dr. Howard Rosenbaum, Director of The Wildlife Conservation Society's Ocean Giants Program. "An increase in background noise from increased shipping, coupled with increases in underwater noise from industrial activities and other potential stressors, is of great concern for the Arctic's marine species and their important habitats."
Another threat to bowheads and other Arctic denizens: an oil spill in a region with little or no capacity for containment.
"The lack of international response capability to a spill in these waters is a serious concern in light of the increased interest in oil and gas exploration, or the rise in transportation of petroleum products by tankers through the Arctic," added Robards. "A comprehensive approach is clearly needed to prepare for a potential environmental disaster in a region where marine mammals transit both national and international waters."
Outcomes from the workshop will help inform both future research on the effects of development on fragile Arctic ecosystems and support Alaska natives as they seek to actively protect the health and safety of the marine mammal populations they rely on. This will help engage local communities and their representatives with the regulatory decisions being made by the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. and Russian Governments, and the I
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| Contact: Stephen Sautner ssautner@wcs.org 718-220-3682 Wildlife Conservation Society Source:Eurekalert |