There's Something Big Going Down in the Arctic and the Whales Can't Get Any Sleep
By Samantha Cole •
Before shipping freighters, seismic surveys in search of oil and active sonar started crashing through the Arctic waters, there was a greater symphony of chirps, hums and clicks being played out by whales and other mammals communicating beneath the frigid waves.
Today, parts of the Arctic sound more like a war zone. Melting ice caps opened the Arctic via the Northern Passage to marine shipping for the first time in 2007 and since then, the level of human activity has skyrocketed. New ports are popping up. Governments and corporations are seeking to establish monopolies in an area where 13% of the world’s unexplored oil reserves sit and naval ships are following to protect national interests. The level of noise this activity is creating, especially underwater, is having a major impact on wildlife.
“This is an issue we’ve been playing catchup on,” says Michael Jasny, Director of Marine Mammal Protection at the National Resources Defense Council. “The problem is getting worse.”
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http://vanwinkles.com/how-drilling-in-the-arctic-affects-animals-sleep
