Efforts to advance underwater noise management in Canada: Introduction to the Marine Pollution Bulletin Special Issue

• Published in: Marine pollution bulletin Vol. 178; p. 113596
• Main Authors: Breeze, Heather, Nolet, Véronique, Thomson, Dugald, Wright, Andrew J., Marotte, Emmaline, Sanders, Michelle
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01-05-2022; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Animals; Anthropogenic factors; Aquatic mammals; Canada; Estuaries; Estuarine dynamics; Habitats; Marine mammals; Marine management; Marine pollution; Mitigation; Naval engineering; Noise; Noise control; Noise levels; Noise measurement; Noise reduction; Polar environments; Sea pollution; Ship design; Shipping; Shipping impacts; Ships; Sonar; Underwater; Underwater noise; Whale, Killer; Whales; Canada; Marine management; Canada; Shipping impacts; Underwater noise; Sonar; Marine mammals
• ISSN: 0025-326X; 1879-3363
• DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113596

This introduction to a special issue on approaches to managing underwater noise in Canada provides a brief overview of recent efforts to better understand and reduce anthropogenic underwater noise. Recent programs have aimed to increase understanding of anthropogenic noise in the habitats of highly endangered whales and have supported management actions such as vessel slow downs. Technical workshops have advanced the development of quiet ship design and associated technologies. Collaborative research examined noise levels in the St. Lawrence Estuary and the Arctic Ocean. Efforts to better manage noise have gone beyond shipping: enhanced mitigation measures have been put in place for naval exercises near habitats used by southern resident killer whales, while other work has focused on the identification of appropriate metrics for measuring noise. To coordinate and advance these and other efforts, the Government of Canada is developing a national Ocean Noise Strategy.
•Efforts to better understand and manage underwater noise in Canada are underway•Recent underwater noise research and mitigation has focused mostly on shipping.•Canada is developing a national Ocean Noise Strategy.