Influence of anthropogenic noise on aquatic mammals Bruna dos Santos Alves, Juliana Plácido Guimarães

Abstract

Noise pollution in the marine environment has increased in recent decades, threatening aquatic biota, especially cetaceans. Noise caused by seismic surveys for oil exploration, drilling, dredging, explosions, sonars used in military exercises, fishing, and traffic from commercial and tourist vessels interfere with the echolocation of cetaceans. As a result, there are changes in social interaction, feeding, reproduction, parental care, and predator avoidance behaviors, in addition to strandings and temporary or permanent hearing damage. Mitigation measures include stopping seismic surveys and the use of sonars in the event of cetacean sightings, avoiding the conglomeration of tourist vessels in areas where cetaceans rest and feed, and not approaching or crossing through groups quickly.