The ocean is becoming a noisy place. At least it is for marine animals that rely on their hearing – and a little piece and quiet – for survival.

For whales and other marine mammals, living near a shipping channel is a lot you or me living next to a highway, railroad or airport – in perpetual darkness. While blasts of sonar have been linked to marine mammals grounding themselves on beaches, the constant background noise also may be interfering with communication, navigation, health and diet.

But just how loud is it down there, and what are the effects?

Scientists with NOAA and Cornell University hope to find out and have begun a unique, three-year study using an array of buoys with underwater microphones.

The $1.5 million project began in December in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary off the coast of Massachusetts. It’s an ideal spot because it’s popular with northern right whales and other endangered marine mammals and also is a thoroughfare for shipping traffic and a destination for pleasure boaters and whale watchers.

For the next 30 months, the equipment will record sounds from whales, fish, ships and other sources around the clock. Along with providing unique information about the “acoustic smog,” the study could improve understanding of whale communication and behavior and help develop a global monitoring network for ocean noise.

Look here for NOAA's press release.

The study is an example of emerging ocean research that’s been pioneered by the University of Maine and the Portland-based Gulf of Maine Ocean Observing System (GoMOOS).

In related news Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Tom Allen, D-Maine, issued a statement welcoming House passage of the National Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation Act, legislation he introduced to create a nationwide system based on GoMOOS. The House passed the bill on a voice vote Monday, while similar legislation is pending in the Senate.

Look here for Allen's press release.

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