Feds: Plan addresses impact of ocean noise on marine mammals

PORTLAND, Maine – The federal government says a new strategy to address the issue of noise in the ocean will better protect the safety of marine mammals.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released its Ocean Noise Strategy Roadmap on Tuesday. The agency says the roadmap will guide it in managing ocean noise and its effects on ocean life through the next 10 years.

The roadmap lays out roles for federal government agencies, researchers, industries and environmental advocates to play in managing noise in the ocean. NOAA crafted the plan using more than 85,000 public comment responses.

Sound plays a key role in the survival of marine animals and can be caused either by human actions or the ocean’s natural ecosystem. Whales and dolphins, for example, use sound to navigate and find food.