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Noise in a Modern Ocean

The incessant noise in today’s oceans creates an acoustic smog that challenges animals’ survival.

Authored by

by Gord More, Steve De Neef, Judy Somers, and Jacob Levenson

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Marine animals use the physical qualities of water to communicate across the seas. Under the ocean’s surface, sound travels 25 times faster than it does on land. But humans also capitalize on the acoustic properties of water for our own purposes, from sonar to seismic exploration. This animated explainer highlights the challenges of living in an ocean filled with the “smog” of sound.