Ocean Noise and Right Whales

In a recent paper published about right whales, stress hormones and ocean noise, it was found that after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and subsequent decrease in shipping and air traffic for about 4-5 days and therefore less ocean noise, the stress hormones in right whales dropped.

We often don't think about how much noise we are putting into the ocean and when combined, prevents whales from communicating as easily as when noise levels are lower.  Hearing is probably one of the most important senses in whales.  Reducing ocean noise should always be a priority, however, a consequence of quieter vessels may be a reduced detection rate of vessels by whales.  But as long as there is some noise onboard and in a quieter ocean, it would be hoped that the whales would still be able to avoid collisions. 

Lifted head of a right whale showing the chin and callosities - roughened patches
 of skin on the whale's head that are used to identify individual right whales

Priorities should always be for quieter engines but there has been concern about quiet electric cars and the safety of pedestrians if they don't look before stepping off the curb relying instead on car noise to alert them to oncoming cars.  However, if stress levels are reduced in whales with reduced ambient noise then perhaps the same would happen in humans if we live in a quieter environment.

For more information about right whales and ocean noise, read about it on the New England Aquarium Research blog and related links they have listed: http://rightwhales.neaq.org/2012/02/right-whale-researchers-make.html or access the journal paper: Rosalind M. Rolland, Susan E. Parks, Kathleen E. Hunt, Manuel Castellote, Peter J. Corkeron, Douglas P. Nowacek, Samuel K. Wasser, and Scott D. Kraus. Evidence that ship noise increases stress in right whales. Proc. R. Soc. B published online before print February 8, 2012, doi:10.1098/rspb.2011.2429.
For the full text of the paper: http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/early/2012/02/01/rspb.2011.2429.full.pdf+html?sid=e86820b8-acb4-4464-a692-3f743813ccd8