Photo / SuppliedBy Conan Young of RNZThe Cawthron Institute says a lack of rules controlling underwater noise is putting at risk some of our most endangered mammals. A biologist with the Cawthron Institute, Dr Simon Childerhouse, said noise pollution got in the way of them communicating with each other and could cause stress, leading to declining birth rates. Some of the really loud noises like seismic surveys or military sonar can also actually directly kill marine mammals." Underwater acoustic expert, Dr Matt Pine, said it's normally to gauge if things were getting noisier underwater because the sound made by boats was almost always there. A DOC spokesperson said addressing the problem would require an amendment to the Marine Mammals Protection Act.

Source: New Zealand Herald May 12, 2021 23:38 UTC