The 6,000 container ships that traverse the oceans daily create 235 decibels each of anthropogenic noise every day, causing a domino effect on marine life.

To put that into perspective, 235 decibels is 2 times louder than an airplane takeoff which is 3 trillion times louder than perceived loudness.

Noise pollution disrupts marine life function

Marine life, including whales, dolphins, and fish, rely heavily on sound for essential life functions like communication, locating mates and prey, and navigation. The anthropogenic noise, characterized by its intensity and frequency, interferes with these natural sounds, leading to behavioural and physiological changes, injury, and even death.

Noise pollution in the ocean has doubled every year for the past 60 years in the because of industrialization.

<aside> 💡 Sound in the ocean

• Sound moves faster in water (1500 meters/sec**) than in air** (about 340 meters/sec) because water particles are packed in more densely. Thus, the energy the sound waves carry is transported faster.
• Sound energy is measured in decibels (dB) relative to the threshold of human hearing. The decibel scale is logarithmic, which means 20dB is not merely twice as loud as 10dB, but rather represents 10 times more sound energy; 30dB is 100 times more.
• Temperature also affects the speed of sound (e.g. sound travels faster in warm water than in cold) and is very influential in some parts of the ocean (because of global warming). </aside>

Underwater noise significantly impacts the marine ecosystem and therefore people

• Impacts on Marine Life
• Ecological Impacts

Sonic pollution decreases marine biodiversity which causes further issues for the human population

• Food Insecurity: Fish is a primary source of animal protein for at least one billion people in the world which would impact the availability of seafood for human consumption, and cause further damage to the world hunger crisis.
• Health: Depleted coastal ecosystems can become vulnerable to invasive species, disease outbreaks, and harmful algal blooms, which can pose risks to human health. Furthermore, losses in biodiversity imply a loss of genes and molecules that are potentially valuable for medical research and industry.
• Economic Impacts: According to the World Ecotourism Network, Nature-based tourism in Africa and South America each generated approximately US$33.47bn in 2023. Loss of biodiversity can cause a 20% decline in revenue in this industry putting these continents in huge economic detriment.

Status Quo Solutions Only Lessen Noise Instead of Eliminating

Sound absorbent materials: Using sound absorbing materials, that have low noise and vibration levels such as fibreglass, and mineral wool aids in reducing cavitation which are bubbles formed from the cargo ship propellers and a major cause of cargo ship noise pollution, as well as the radiated noise. Steel coils are placed between machinery and the ship’s hull to reduce machinery noise. Though these materials only lessen sound, they do not eliminate it.

Current Obstacles:

• Lack of policies: that make ship producers care about the issue. Policies have long implementation processes: the United Nations has been petitioning for standardization of ship speed to reduce wave frequencies for 10 years
• Lack of Economic Incentives: Costly to implement new technologies and thus reduces their profits. Producers act in their own self-interests to maximize their profit and they do not see any beneficial incentives from implementing the noise cancellation system.