At the UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France, 37 countries led by Canada and Panama have launched a new international coalition to combat underwater noise pollution—an escalating but often overlooked threat to marine biodiversity.
Whales, dolphins, and other sea creatures rely on sound to communicate, navigate, hunt, and avoid danger. However, the increasing roar of global shipping, sonar use, and offshore construction is severely disrupting their underwater acoustic environment. Conservation groups like OceanCare and WWF warn that this human-made noise can trigger panic in marine mammals, drive away prey, and alter essential behaviors.
In a landmark move, ministers from coalition nations pledged to promote quieter ship designs and implement noise reduction protocols in marine protected areas. Panama’s Environment Minister Juan Carlos Navarro emphasized that ocean noise has long been “sidelined” in global discourse, but this coalition represents a decisive turn toward protecting marine biodiversity.
Cargo vessels, one of the biggest sources of oceanic acoustic pollution, are a key focus of this initiative. By targeting the global shipping industry’s noise emissions, the coalition aims to restore natural soundscapes vital for the survival of ocean life.
Carlos Bravo of OceanCare hailed the move as “a crucial step towards giving marine life back their voice in the blue planet’s symphony.”
Swifteradio.com
