Biodiversité

The number of marine watercraft is on the rise—from private boats in coastal areas to commercial ships crossing oceans. A concomitant increase in underwater noise has been reported in several regions around the globe. Given the important role sound plays in the life functions of marine mammals, research on the potential effects of vessel noise has grown—in particular since the year 2000. We provide an overview of this literature, showing that studies have been patchy in terms of their coverage of species, habitats, vessel types, and types of impact investigated. The documented effects include behavioral and acoustic responses, auditory masking, and stress.

Partout dans le monde, les échouages de baleines semblent se multiplier. Cela fait longtemps que les scientifiques ont établi un lien entre les sonars militaires et les échouages de baleines.

Le bruit émanant des grands navires de commerce est suffisant pour perturber les chants des baleines — particulièrement les chants liés à la reproduction des baleines à bosse.

Frontiers in Marine Science publishes rigorously peer-reviewed research that advances our understanding of all aspects of the environment, biology, ecosystem functioning and human interactions with the oceans.  This multidisciplinary open-access journal is at the forefront of disseminating and communicating scientific knowledge and impactful discoveries to researchers, academics, policy makers and the public worldwide.

TRIBUNE. « Il est urgent d’intégrer la variable bruit à la gestion de toutes les industries marines », estime la chercheuse Héloïse Berkowitz.