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The Environmental Impact of Ocean Noise—and How You Can Help

Human-generated noise is transforming the ocean’s soundscape—discover how it affects marine life, why it matters, and what steps you can take.

By Sneha Tete, Integrated MA, Certified Relationship Coach

Created on Sep 26, 2025

Human-generated noise is transforming the ocean’s soundscape—discover how it affects marine life, why it matters, and what steps you can take.

While the world’s oceans often conjure images of quiet blue expanses, the underwater environment is anything but silent. Over the past decades, human-generated noise has dramatically altered the ocean’s soundscape, with far-reaching consequences for marine life and the broader health of the seas. This article explores the core causes and consequences of ocean noise pollution, its effects on different marine species and ecosystems, and the measures anyone can take to help create quieter, healthier oceans.

What Is Ocean Noise Pollution?

Ocean noise pollution refers to the introduction of human-made sounds into the ocean that disrupt natural acoustic environments. Unlike other forms of pollution that are visible, noise pollution is invisible but insidious, interfering with the basic life functions of countless marine creatures. Common sources include:

Commercial shipping and cargo vessels
Oil and gas exploration (such as seismic airgun surveys)
Construction of offshore infrastructure (wind turbines, ports, pipelines)
Military sonar exercises
Dredging and underwater explosions

Natural ocean sounds—wind, waves, rain, and animal vocalizations—have been largely drowned out, especially near heavily trafficked coasts and shipping lanes.

Why Does Sound Matter in the Ocean?

Sound travels much faster and farther in water than in air, and for many ocean species it is the primary sensory input. Many marine mammals, fish, and even invertebrates rely on sound to perform critical life functions, including:

Finding food
Avoiding predators
Navigating long distances
Locating mates and breeding grounds
Coordinating group behaviors (like schooling, hunting, or migration)

Unlike light, which is quickly absorbed and scattered by seawater, sound waves can travel thousands of kilometers—across entire ocean basins—especially at low frequencies.

How Is Ocean Noise Pollution Created?

Ocean noise pollution is largely attributable to human industrial activities that produce powerful, persistent, or disruptive sounds underwater:

Shipping: The propeller “cavitation” (formation and collapse of bubbles) of large cargo ships is the single largest contributor to persistent, low-frequency noise. At any given moment, about 250,000 vessels are traversing the seas, emitting sounds up to 190 decibels—louder than a jet takeoff on land.
Seismic Surveys: Explosive airguns used in oil and gas exploration produce intense pulses every 10–15 seconds, 24 hours a day for weeks or months. These sounds can travel hundreds of kilometers.
Offshore Construction: Installations of wind turbines, piers, and pipelines use pile driving and drilling, creating repetitive, loud, and highly disruptive noises.
Military Sonar: Naval sonars emit intense, focused sound waves for submarine detection and mapping, which can reach levels hazardous to many marine species.
Dredging and Blasting: Needed for harbor maintenance or underwater construction, these activities create intense, short-duration sounds.

The Main Impacts of Ocean Noise Pollution

Human-caused noise has transformed many areas of the ocean, often with these consequences:

Masking important natural sounds vital for survival
Disrupting communication and navigation
Displacing animals from feeding, breeding, or migratory habitats
Causing physiological stress and hearing loss
Triggering mass strandings and interfering with reproduction

The severity of effects depends on the species, sound characteristics (frequency, intensity, duration), and cumulative exposure over time.

How Marine Species Use Sound—And Why Noise Hurts

Nearly all marine creatures, from the largest whales to small invertebrates, are sensitive to the underwater acoustic environment. Key examples include:

Marine mammals (whales, dolphins, seals): Use complex vocalizations or echolocation for feeding, finding mates, migration, and social bonding. Human noise can make it harder for them to find food, avoid predators, or even care for young.
Fish: Many species communicate through low-frequency sounds, especially during spawning and mating. Noise can disrupt these crucial behaviors, even causing fish to abandon habitats.
Sea turtles: Though studied less than other groups, research suggests that turtles depend on acoustic cues for orientation—noise pollution may make it harder for them to locate nesting beaches or safe areas.
Invertebrates: Crustaceans, mollusks, and plankton also rely on natural soundscapes; noise can affect their ability to detect food, avoid danger, and even feed or filter the water.

Table: Key Marine Animals Affected by Noise Pollution

Animal Group	How They Use Sound	Noise Impact
Whales/Dolphins	Communication, navigation, echolocation	Masking, displacement, hearing loss, strandings
Fish	Spawning, social coordination	Disrupted reproduction, habitat abandonment
Sea Turtles	Orientation, navigation	Impaired nesting, stress
Crustaceans/Invertebrates	Feeding, detecting danger	Reduced feeding, stress, impaired water filtration

Species Most Vulnerable to Ocean Noise

Whales and dolphins are highly susceptible to noise interference, but other groups are also impacted. Effects widely documented include:

Baleen whales (e.g., blue, fin, humpback): Low-frequency ship noise masks their calls, affecting migration, feeding, and mating. Sudden, intense sounds may cause strandings.
Toothed whales (e.g., orca, sperm whale, dolphins): Echolocation is hampered; disruption can lead to group separations and declined reproductive success.
Fish and invertebrates: Disruption of spawning aggregations and feeding; noise exposure has been linked with increased mortality in some species.
Reptiles (e.g., sea turtles): Avoidance of certain areas, reduced reproductive success, hearing loss from blast or seismic noises.

Scientific studies reveal that across more than 100 marine species reviewed worldwide, all show at least some negative response to underwater noise, revealing the vast scope of this issue.

How Ocean Noise Impacts Entire Marine Ecosystems

Noise pollution impacts extend beyond individual species. Human-created noise can destabilize food webs and compromise essential ecosystem services. Some documented disruptions include:

Stressed or displaced fish may reduce populations, which in turn affects the animals that feed on them—from seabirds to whales.
Disrupted water filtration by shellfish and invertebrates can lead to lower water quality, affecting everything in an ecosystem.
Reduced feeding and nutrient cycling can decrease sediment mixing, undermining the productivity of benthic (seafloor) habitats.
Interrupted plankton functioning, which are critical for absorbing carbon dioxide, may even accelerate the climate crisis by reducing the ocean’s ability to sequester carbon.

How Ocean Noise Pollution Harms Humans

Humans rely on healthy oceans for food, climate regulation, and economic livelihoods. Ocean noise can impact:

Fisheries productivity: Declines in fish reproduction or migration due to noise can hurt commercial and local fish catches.
Cultural traditions: Many coastal and Indigenous peoples depend on marine mammals and healthy ocean soundscapes for food, navigation, and cultural practices.
Ocean health at large: If basic ecosystem functions break down, consequences eventually affect coastal resilience, storm protection, and carbon storage worldwide.

Why Ocean Noise Pollution Is Increasing

The last hundred years have seen an explosion of activity on and under the sea. Two main drivers fuel the rising tide of underwater noise:

Rapid growth in global shipping: Economic globalization and demand for transported goods have enormously expanded the commercial fleet. Cargo volumes and vessel size are both increasing, amplifying overall underwater noise.
Energy exploration and infrastructure: As land resources dwindle, more drilling, extraction, and renewable energy projects have moved offshore, bringing a suite of noisy industrial techniques with them.

Notably, some ocean regions are now twice as noisy as they were just decades ago, particularly in places like the Arctic, where melting sea ice allows more vessels to reach previously isolated ecosystems.

Are There Laws Against Ocean Noise?

Despite well-documented ecological risks, there are few binding international regulations specifically addressing ocean noise pollution:

International conventions such as UNCLOS and MARPOL focus mostly on chemical pollution and shipping safety, but are not explicit about noise.
Some countries have regulations governing certain activities (like marine mammal harassment or oil exploration noise) at national levels.
Voluntary initiatives, pressure from conservation groups, and growing scientific evidence are pushing for clearer, enforceable noise limits in marine policies.

What Can Be Done to Reduce Ocean Noise?

Solutions are available and emerging, but they require commitment from industries, governments, and even ordinary citizens. Actions include:

Quieter ship design: Newer vessels can be built with better propeller technology and noise-dampening hulls.
Slow steaming: Reducing ship speeds by as little as 10% can dramatically lower noise emissions.
Operational changes: Rerouting shipping lanes away from sensitive habitats, selecting quieter pile-driving techniques, and conducting noisy operations only during least-sensitive times for wildlife.
Regulatory action: Setting enforceable, science-based noise limits and expanding marine protected areas.
Innovative technologies: Using bubble curtains around construction sites to absorb noise, developing alternative surveying methods, and improving ship propellor designs.

What Can You Do to Help?

Although most underwater noise is caused by industry and shipping, individuals can also play a vital role in creating a quieter and healthier ocean. Consider:

Choosing products and seafood from companies committed to sustainable ocean practices and reducing ship noise
Supporting organizations working for marine conservation and stricter ocean noise regulations
Reducing single-use plastics and participating in beach cleanups to limit the need for increased shipping
Staying informed about new technologies, policy changes, and ways to influence government and industry for better ocean management
Spreading awareness about this lesser-known but critical issue—share articles, organize talks, or advocate in your community

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Ocean Noise Pollution

Q: Isn’t the ocean naturally a noisy place?

A: The ocean is naturally rich in sounds—waves, storms, and animal calls—but modern, continuous, and intense human-generated noises are far louder and persistently mask or disrupt these natural cues.

Q: What makes ocean noise pollution worse than other types?

A: Unlike plastic waste or oil spills, noise is invisible and spreads rapidly across vast distances, often with cumulative and ecosystem-wide harms that are difficult to reverse.

Q: Can marine animals adapt to noise?

A: Some animals may shift the timing or frequency of their calls, but adaptation is limited—prolonged or extreme noise often exceeds their coping abilities, impacting survival and reproduction.

Q: Is it possible to reverse the damage caused by ocean noise?

A: Reducing or eliminating major sources of noise can lead to rapid recovery of healthy soundscapes, allowing animals to resume normal behaviors. Some impacts, such as strandings or population declines, can take longer to heal.

Q: How can I make my voice heard on this issue?

A: Support organizations advocating for ocean noise regulations, reach out to policymakers, and encourage companies to invest in quieter maritime technologies—public pressure can drive industry-wide change.

Key Takeaways

Ocean noise pollution is a major and largely invisible threat to marine life and ecosystem health.
Human activities—shipping, oil and gas, construction, sonar—are the primary sources.
Impacts range from altered animal behavior and disrupted reproduction to mass strandings and ecosystem-level change.
Solutions exist, from new shipping practices to regulation to individual action and spreading awareness.
Healthy oceans need both quiet and action—your choices matter.

References

Author

Sneha TeteBeauty & Lifestyle Writer

Sneha is a relationships and lifestyle writer with a strong foundation in applied linguistics and certified training in relationship coaching. She brings over five years of writing experience to thebridalbox, crafting thoughtful, research-driven content that empowers readers to build healthier relationships, boost emotional well-being, and embrace holistic living.

Read full bio of Sneha Tete