Scientists to discuss latest threat to marine animals – noise pollution

SOME of the world’s top scientists are due in Ireland next week to discuss a new threat to our oceans and marine life – noise pollution.

Up to 250 scientists, academics and engineers will discuss how a rise in the levels of manmade under-water noise is damaging fish hearing and threatening future fish stocks.

They will bring together the latest research and devise new ways of tackling the problem.

Conference organisers Professors Tony Hawkins and Arthur Popper held their first conference on the issue in Denmark in 2007.

“It proved to be a landmark in reviewing research in this field,” said Prof Hawkins, a former director of Fisheries Research for Scotland and now an independent scientist. “Now, three years later, we have decided to look again at the progress made in this fast-moving area of science.”

It was once thought that our oceans, rivers and lakes were relatively silent – the only noise coming from chorusing fish, snapping shrimps, calling dolphins and whales.

However, ships, underwater explosions, seismic exploration, offshore construction, and sonars of various types have raised the level of background underwater noise.

Very intense sounds can cause tissue damage or impair hearing.

But even at lower levels, human-generated sound may affect the ability of animals to orient, navigate and find one another.

It can disrupt behaviour, affect migrations, interfere with mating, interrupt foraging and feeding, or simply cause discomfort.

The construction of large offshore wind-farms is causing huge concern, especially when piles are driven to support the wind turbines.

Arthur Popper, a professor of biology at the University of Maryland, said the emphasis of next Monday’s conference will be on recent research results and sharing of ideas.

“The conference has excited interest worldwide and we have scientists and others attending from Europe, North America, Australia, South America, the Russian Federation, Japan, Israel and Ireland,” he said.

The conference comes just weeks after British scientists found that noise pollution can lead fish away from their natural habitat into areas where they could die, potentially devastating future fish stocks.

Baby tropical fish rely on natural sounds made by fish, shrimps and sea urchins as a cue to find coral reefs where they can survive and thrive.

With human noise pollution from ships, wind farms and oil prospecting on the increase, this crucial behaviour is coming under threat.

Next week’s conference, supported by the Cork Conference Bureau, will be opened by Lord Mayor Cllr Michael O’Connell and will feature a keynote address by Dr Brandon Southall, one of the world’s leading authorities on effects of noise on marine animals.