Effect of Noise on animals

How do animals communicate with one another? One of the main ways is sound. Loud noises intervene in an animals communcation pattern. Noise results in many problems for animals. Some examples are:

• Out of fear, animals may not be able to graze, as the loud noises scare them. This may result in a population decrease.
• Animals cannot hear predators preparing to launch and attack them.

• Noise may affect mating routines for animals.

Sources of Marine noise

Humans conduct many experiments in the oceans and marine noise is generated by all these activities. They can can occur due to use of air- guns, sonars which are used for identifying rocks, in defense and location of objects in the ocean, oil exploration and production. There several other factors which add to marine noise as ship movements, mineral extraction, military exercises.

NOISE AND MARINE MAMMALS

Marine mammals and land mammals have similar inner ears though the external ears are absent and the middle ear modified. Many forms of hearing loss occur due to disturbances in the inner ear. Hence one can conclude that hearing damage occurs in marine mammals the same way as land mammals.

Whales and dolphins, have strong inner ears which may have evolved to resist the strong noise in oceans.