New IFAW report details simple, efficient ways to reduce ocean noise from commercial shipping and benefit whales

A report on Ocean Noise commissioned by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) concludes that shipping noise could be dramatically reduced through measures that may also improve efficiency with payback times of one or two years.

The greatest benefit would be to marine mammals whose communications are greatly impeded by ocean noise. IFAW is calling upon International Maritime Organization (IMO) governments, ship owners associations and the shipping industry to undertake the necessary research and actions to achieve widely endorsed targets for reducing underwater noise pollution from shipping and identify vessels that would benefit most from efficiency improving technologies that are also likely to reduce underwater noise output.

The report was distributed at the IMO’s Marine Environmental Protection Committee session on July 14th.

“Noise from shipping is the single most dominant source of man-made low frequency noise throughout much of the world’s oceans and has resulted in large changes in background noise levels,” said Veronica Frank, IFAW EU whale programme campaign officer. The noise overlaps the frequencies produced by some marine animals, primarily large whales, seals and sea lions, and fish, interfering with their capacity to perform their vital functions.

“The distance over which blue whales can communicate has likely been reduced by approximately 90% of what it was prior to the advent of propeller driven ships,” continued Frank. By 2025 the amount of cargo shipped around the world is forecast by shipping analysts to double or triple and generate even more noise.

“The noisiest 10% of ships account for between 50% and 90% of the noise pollution and it is these vessels that are most likely to benefit from relatively minor modifications to reduce propeller noise,” said Russell Leaper, an IFAW scientist. The report suggests that new propeller design concepts and fins and ducts to improve wake flow could reduce noise output from the noisiest ships and be cost effective. The report found that there is a relatively poor understanding of noise output from large commercial vessels and a need for more data.

The IFAW commissioned report was written by Dr Marin Renilson and is called “Reducing Underwater Noise Polluting from Large Commercial Vessels”. The full report is available at
www.ifaw.org/oceannoise/reports. It was commissioned to inform the work of the IMO as they have primary responsibility for addressing shipping noise. IFAW holds consultative status with the IMO and has been working with IMO governments and the industry to find practical solutions to reduce the environmental impact of shipping that benefit both animals and people.

Notes and further reading:

For further information on reductions in ocean noise please consult visit www.iwcoffice.org and read Leaper et al., 2009. Paper SC/61/E19 presented to Scientific Committee of International Whaling Commission, Madeira, Portugal.

A target of a 3dB reduction (i.e. halving the acoustic energy) in 10 years in ocean noise was suggested at an International Workshop on Shipping Noise and Marine Mammals held in Hamburg in April 2008. This target has been endorsed by the Scientific Committee of the International Whaling Commission. You can learn more about it here (http://www.okeanos-stiftung.org/okeanos/download.php?id=14).