Sonar used in 70 percent of the world's oceans is probably hurting whales
U.S. Navy sonar breaks marine laws by using sound waves that are significantly stronger than those produced even by the loudest rock bands, a U.S. appeals court ruled. Sonar pulses can harm animals that rely on underwater sound to navigate, such as whales, dolphins, and walruses, BBC reports. Some scientists claim that whales have even been observed fleeing from sonar by swimming hundreds of miles or beaching themselves.
The use of sonar was permitted in 2012, but it had been improperly approved by the National Marine Fisheries Service, the court ruled. Used across 70 percent of the world's oceans to detect enemy submarines, sonar was permitted for ships to use if they refrained in protected waters, along coastlines, or if a marine mammal was detected nearby. Still, the court ruled that the Navy had not taken enough measures to have "the least practicable adverse impact on marine mammals." Fisheries had additionally failed to "give adequate protection to areas of the world's oceans flagged by its own experts as biologically important."
Navy sonar can create sound waves of 235 decibels; about 150 decibels is the threshold for eardrum rupture in humans. The case will be sent back to lower courts for further consideration.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
'Fixer of Trump's problems has become one of them'
Today's Newspapers A roundup of the headlines from the US front pages
By The Week Staff Published
-
Pros and cons of oat milk
Pros and cons Oat has emerged as the king of Britain's plant-based milks, but how does it stack up against the alternatives?
By Rebecca Messina, The Week UK Published
-
What happens if TikTok is banned?
Today's Big Question Many are fearful that TikTok's demise could decimate the content creator community
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Puffed rice and yoga: inside the collapsed tunnel where Indian workers await rescue
Speed Read Workers trapped in collapsed tunnel are suffering from dysentery and anxiety over their rescue
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Gaza hospital blast: What the video evidence shows about who's to blame
Speed Read Nobody wants to take responsibility for the deadly explosion in the courtyard of Gaza's al-Ahli Hospital. Roll the tape.
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Giraffe poo seized after woman wanted to use it to make a necklace
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Helicopter sound arouses crocodiles
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Woman sues Disney over 'injurious wedgie'
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Emotional support alligator turned away from baseball stadium
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Europe's oldest shoes found in Spanish caves
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Artworks stolen by Nazis returned to heirs of cabaret performer
It wasn't all bad Good news stories from the past seven days
By The Week Staff Published