WWF-Canada releases report from workshop on underwater noise management

The haunting song of the humpback whale and the plaintive mating call of the plain fin midshipman echoed through the Vancouver Aquarium last June, at WWF-Canada’s second expert workshop on underwater ocean noise. These recordings represent some of the vibrant sounds of Canada’s Pacific Ocean, from two of the species that depend on quiet oceans for their survival. Underwater noise levels are on the rise in the world’s oceans, and the threat that this poses to marine species was the reason for the meeting.

The workshop brought together 45 experts from Canada and abroad, from a diverse range of backgrounds. While WWF’s first international ocean noise workshop in 2012 was focused on the science of man-made underwater noise and its impacts on marine animals in Canada’s Pacific, our second event was directed at coming up with ways to manage and mitigate this noise.  Underwater noise pollution is a genuine problem for whales, dolphins, fish, and the other marine animals that rely on sound to survive. Experts discussed potential solutions such as acoustic reserves, (a.k.a. ‘quiet Marine Protected Areas’, or ‘quiet MPAs’), standards and thresholds for underwater noise, implementing voluntary incentives for quieter vessels – like reducing the fees ships pay in port – and what might be achieved in Canada’s Pacific in the next five years. BC’s North and Central coasts were a particular geographic focus, given the marine planning process underway there. And as one of the most heavily-targeted regions for proposed industrial development in Canada, BC’s North Coast waters will only get noisier unless quieting measures are taken. This is because in BC’s corner of the Pacific Ocean, underwater noise mainly comes from shipping, coastal construction (think dredging and port infrastructure builds), and pile driving.

This month, we released the workshop report, including recommendations in eight key areas. To read the report and view some of the workshop presentations, click here. There is a long way to go before solving the pressing management problems posed by underwater noise pollution, but the outcomes of this workshop – the report, its recommendations, and the working relationships forged there – provide some important steps along the way.