Natural Environment Blog

Dolphins can be deafened by loud noises, which can lead to death.

A new study has found that loud sonar can cause deafness in dolphins.

The study found that loud, repeated blasts of sonar caused dolphins to temporarily lose their hearing for 20 to 40 minutes.

Published in the British journal Biology Letters on Wednesday, the findings could provide further evidence that human made noises can be attributed to dolphin and whale deaths. 

The study, led by Aran Mooney Marine Biologist at the University of Hawaii, exposed an Atlantic bottlenose dolphin to progressively louder pings of mid-frequency sonar. The dolphin was born in captivity and was trained. 

A suction cup was fitted to the dolphin’s head, with a sensor attached that monitored the animal’s brainwaves.

“What we found was if you play sound you can cause temporary hearing loss. The sounds have to be surprisingly loud and they have to be repeated over an extended period of time – two to three minutes.” Mooney said. “In that time you would expect them to swim away as fast as possible. They have to be within 40 metres of a ship, but when you have certain oceanographic conditions it’s hard for the animals to get out of the way.” 

Many people believe that human made noises, also referred to as acoustic smog, has been the cause of whale and dolphin beachings around the world.

Mooney acknowledges that, given the study was undertaken in a lab with a captive-born dolphin, it does not provide proof that military sonar is to blame for mass strandings. 

“We definitely showed that there are physiological and some behavioural effects [from repeated, loud sonar], but to extrapolate that into the wild, we don’t really know,” Mooney told AFP.

This new species of deep sea coral grows to more than a meter high in depths of between 700 and 1,000 meters. Photo: NOAA, WHOI, the Alvin Group, and the 2004 GOA Expedition..

Marine biologists have discovered a new species of coral growing on the peaks of seamounts off the coast of the Pacific Northwest.

The fan-like bamboo corals, discovered at depths of 700 to 1,000 meters (2,300 to 3,300 feet), were found to be growing to more than a meter tall. 

“They look really, really big when you’re underwater,” said marine biologist Peter Etnoyer of Texas A & M University.

According to Discovery News, the new species will be described and given a name in the upcoming December issue of Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.

Although the species is new to science, fragments of the bamboo coral have landed in the nets of fishing trawlers for years. 

The scientists observed the new coral species from Alvin - a deep-sea research vessel. From Alvin, they were able to observe long tentacles on its trunk billowing in the current. Etnoyer commented that this impressive sight is something that can only be seen and appreciated by looking at a living specimen.

Bamboo corals, which are part of the Isidella  genus, provide deep sea creatures with food, shelter, and a breeding ground.

About Deep Sea Corals

As the name suggests, deep sea corals are corals that live in deep seas. 

Most deep sea coral are found between 200 and 1500 metres deep but some species have been found more than 3000 metres deep. At these depths, it is usually pitch black and the water is very cold (usually between 4°c and 12°c degrees).  

Deep sea corals are found in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Indian and Pacific Oceans.

Unlike tropical corals that can grow up to 100–200 millimetres per year, deep sea corals grow very slowly. Some deep sea corals are known to grow at a rate of 4–25 millimetres per year.

About two thirds of all coral species are deep sea corals.

Deep sea corals were first discovered in the 18th century but, until recently, very little has been known about them. Recent advances in technology is starting to change that though, particularly with deep water trawling, advanced imaging systems, submersibles (such as Alvin), and advanced acoustic seafloor mapping systems.

The 'alien-like' Magnapinna squid, captured on remote video camera by the Shell Oil Company.

An “alien-like” squid has been caught on camera, 2.5 kilometers underwater, in the Gulf of Mexico by the Shell Oil Company.

The video footage, recorded from a camera on a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), shows a rare Magnapinna squid with it’s long, shoulder-like arms dangling down below it. 

The footage, which had been circulating through the oil industry via email since November 2007 when it was taken, hadn’t been made public until National Geographic got hold of it earlier this week.

The squid has been dubbed the “Perdido squid” due to the fact that it was filmed at the Peridido drilling site. 

Species Unknown

Although it clearly belongs to the Magnapinna genus, it’s unclear which species the Peridido squid actually is. Both the M. M. atlantica and M. pacifica are known to inhabit the Gulf of Mexico so it is likely to be one of those.

This is the first time a Magnapinna squid has been sighted at an oil drilling site. 

Not much is known about the various Magnapinna species, as no intact adult specimen has ever been captured. 

Scientists speculate that their long arms are possibly used for feeding purposes. One theory is that the squid drags its arms along the seafloor to capture prey.  Another theory is that the squid simply waits for prey to get stuck on it’s long, dangly arms.

Due to the expense and difficulty in shooting underwater footage at these depths, some scientists have been entering formal partnerships with oil companies to share camera time on corporate ROVs.

Here’s the actual video footage taken from the ROV:

Tuna is at risk of extinction following ICCAT's decision to ignore advice from its own scientists, say conservation groups.

A decision by an international organization charged with protecting tuna has been slammed by conservation groups for doing the exact opposite.

The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), a fishery organization responsible for the conservation of tunas and tuna-like species, recently implemented a catch quota as much as 60% higher than its own scientists had recommended.

ICCAT’s own scientists had recommended a total allowable catch (TAC) of 8,500 to 15,000 tonnes per year. ICCAT ignored this advice and opted for a TAC of 22,000 for 2009.

The catch quota essentially places a restriction on how much the tuna industry is allowed to catch. Without a strict quota, tuna, known for fetching high prices, would almost certainly become extinct.

Obviously, the extinction of tuna would lead to the collapse of the tuna industry so, any ICCAT decision has a direct impact on the future of tuna fisheries, as well as the survival of the species itself.

Greenpeace’s Response

Greenpeace says ICCAT has lived up to it’s reputation as an “international disgrace” and has labelled the decision as “Shameless. Disastrous.” 

It says that this year’s annual meeting in Marrakech “looked more like a bazaar, in which buyers haggled over the last remaining tuna, than an international meeting”.

Greenpeace blames the decision on the European Union.

The European Union, representing the majority of Mediterranean countries with interests in the bluefin tuna fishery,  bullied other parties in the meeting into agreeing to management proposals which completely fail to follow the advice of ICCAT’s own scientific body to substantially reduce fishing and protect the species’ spawning grounds.

“The game is over – ICCAT has missed its last chance to save the bluefin tuna from stock collapse,” said Sebastian Losada, Greenpeace Spain Oceans Campaigner, who attended the Marrakech meeting. “Bluefin tuna has become an endangered species because of ICCAT mismanagement. It’s time to take the fishery out of their hands and look to Conventions like CITES to impose trade restrictions on the species.”

“These past seven days have demonstrated that ICCAT is a farce,” Losada concluded.

Further, Greenpeace has demanded a closure of the fishery until a proper recovery plan is in place. In particular, Greenpeace wants to see:

• a Total Allowed Catch (TAC) in line with the scientific advice
• a seasonal closure covering the months of May, June and July
• the establishment of marine reserves to protect the bluefin tuna spawning grounds

WWF’s Response

WWF has labelled the decision “a disgrace”.

“This is not a decision, it is a disgrace which leaves WWF little choice but to look elsewhere to save this fishery from itself,” said Dr Sergi Tudela, head of WWF Mediterranean’s fisheries programme.

“Any alternative is preferable to an organization which boasts of its respect for science but where in a decade catches have gone from twice to four times the scientific recommendations, with massive legal and illegal overfishing. It is clear that the only thing to slow the fishery with ICCAT at the helm is running out of fish.”

As with Greenpeace, WWF has been pushing for a suspension in the tuna fishery. This option has also been endorsed by the recent World Conservation Congress and recommended by ICCAT’s own internal high-level review. 

WWF has also been pushing for more protection of bluefin tuna.

“WWF will also actively push for a listing under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in the hope that stringent trade controls tied explicitly to the survival of the species will turn around the half-hearted attempt at fisheries management shown here by ICCAT and especially its European contingent.” says Dr Tudela.

An Ongoing Problem

This is not the first time ICCAT has ignored advice from its own scientists.

In 2006, ICCAT set a TAC of 29,500 tonnes, despite its own scientists recommending a sustainable limit of 15,000 tonnes. Since then, ICCAT’s scientists estimate that actual tuna catches in 2007 were 61,000 tonnes.

Following the concerns of the international community, ICCAT appointed a panel to conduct an independent review of ICCAT [PDF document].

The panel had the following to say about ICCAT’s performance:

• Fundamentally ICCAT’s performance to date does not meet its objectives for several of the species under its purview.
• ICCAT’s failure to meet its objectives is due in large part to the lack of compliance by many of its CPCs.
• CPCs have consistently failed to provide timely and accurate data and to implement monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) arrangements on nationals and national companies.
• The judgement of the international community will be based largely on how ICCAT manages fisheries on bluefin tuna (BFT). ICCAT CPCs’ performance in managing fisheries on bluefin tuna particularly in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea is widely regarded as an international disgrace and the international community which has entrusted the management of this iconic species to ICCAT deserve better performance from ICCAT than it has received to date.
• There are concerns about transparency within ICCAT both in decision making and in resource allocation. 
• Most of the problems and challenges ICCAT faces would be simple to fix if CPCs developed the political will to fully implement and adhere to the letter and spirit of the rules and recommendations of ICCAT.

The review found that ICCAT has failed to meet its objectives, but blames this on its members (CPCs).

A simple reading of the state of the stocks under ICCAT’s purview would suggest that ICCAT has failed in its mandate as a number of these key fish stocks are well below MSY. However, the Panel is of the view that rather than ICCAT failing in its mandate it is ICCAT that has been failed by its members (CPCs).

The review concluded that the members’ attitudes need to change.

…the problems of ICCAT would be readily fixed or considerably improved if CPCs changed their attitude towards implementation of and adherence to the rules and recommendations of ICCAT and the adoption of robust Monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) processes.

Rescuers help a beached pilot whale in Tasmania, Australia. Photo: Tasmanian Department of Primary Industry and Water.

Australian volunteers have helped save 11 pilot whales from death in a mass stranding on a beach in Tasmania, Australia.

Around 60 volunteers joined 15 government officers to keep the beached whales alive while transporting them to a nearby beach with deeper water. 

The whales were found stranded on Saturday at Anthony’s Beach, near Stanley on the north-west coast of Tasmania, Australia.

53 Whales Died

In total, 64 mothers and calves were stranded, but only 12 were alive when they were found.

The rescuers spent the night keeping the remaining whales from overheating by splashing water over them. Out of the 12 remaining whales, one died while being returned to the water at Godfreys Beach, around 17 kilometers away. 

An Outstanding Effort

While 11 surviving whales vs 53 dead whales might not sound like an outstanding success, whale rescue efforts are known for their low success rates. Many efforts fail to save even one beached whale.   

“The efforts of the volunteers and the Circular Head community has been outstanding.” said Parks and Wildlife Services manager Chris Arthur, who co-ordinated the rescue effort.

“They gave up a weekend. People got sunburnt. People got engaged with these animals,” he said.

“We used specially built car trailers, which we were able to put up to two whales in each. And we transported those animals 17 kilometres (11 miles) to Godfrey’s Beach,” Arthur said.

Satellite Tracking

Before the whales were released back into the sea, the team attached satellite trackers to their dorsel fins. This will help the team keep track of the whales’ progress.

The satellite trackers can transmit the whales’ location to a datacenter in France. The team is then able to access that information from Australia.  

Great Progress So Far

According to data received from the satellite this morning, the whales’ progress looks good so far. Information from the satellite showed that the whales were swimming east across Bass Strait.

“Even though we released the whales because of the weather conditions over about a three-hour period, it [the satellite data] told us that those whales did regroup at sea.” said Rosemary Gales, a scientist involved in the rescue effort.

“We can’t keep track of the whales in the boats when they power off and they disappear into the distance but we now know from the satellite information that they did regroup and they have been travelling together as a pod - which is absolutely fantastic news because it does make us think that the rescue was a success.” she continued.

Mystery

Whale beachings occur periodically across Australia and New Zealand. The reason why whales beach themselves remains a mystery. Some scientists believe that it’s due to acoustic smog - human made noise that can disorientate whales and other marine life.

This dolphin is a new species of bottlenose dolphin, which was discovered off the coast of Australia. Photo: Kerstin Bilgmann.

Scientists have discovered a new species of bottlenose dolphin swimming in the southern waters of Australia.

Researchers from the Macquarie and Monash university made the discovery while collecting genetic samples from what they thought were coastal bottlenose dolphins. After DNA testing 200 dolphins, they realized that these weren’t coastal bottlenose dolphins after all. 

“They look alike but they are genetically quite different,” said Luciana Moller, of Macquarie University. ”We were surprised.”

The discovery, which was reported in Molecular Phylogenetics And Evolution, is quite significant. It’s not often that a new species of large mammal is discovered.

“Large mammals are not discovered very often. It shows we still have a lot to learn about how many marine species are out there.” said Dr Moller.

Special Protection

Dr Moller believes the new dolphin species will need protection because of its limited range.

“Due to their coastal habitat, these dolphins are also more likely to face threats such as pollution, overfishing and entanglement in nets” she said.

Previously Known Bottlenose Dolphin Species

Until now, only two species of bottlenose dolphins were known. These are:

• Common Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), also known as the Bottle-nosed Dolphin, Bottlenose Dolphin, Bottlenosed Dolphin. Lives in most tropical to temperate oceans. Its colour is grey, with the shade of grey varying among populations; can be bluish-grey, brownish-grey, or even nearly black; often darker on the back from the rostrum to behind the dorsal fin.
• Indo-pacific Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops aduncus), also known as the Indian Ocean Bottlenose Dolphin. Lives in the waters around India, northern Australia, South China, the Red Sea, and the eastern coast of Africa; back is dark-grey and belly is lighter grey or nearly white with grey spots.

The following dolphins are sometimes recognized as a subspecies of the T. truncatus:

• Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin (T. gillii or T. truncatus gillii), living in the Pacific; has a black line from the eye to the forehead
• Black Sea Bottlenose Dolphin (T. truncatus ponticus), living in the Black Sea.

The Researchers

The Macquarie University researchers are from the Marine Mammal Research Group, Graduate School of the Environment, and the Molecular Ecology Lab, Department of Biological Sciences.

The Monash University researchers are from the Centre for Environmental Stress and Adaptation Research (CESAR) and Australian Centre for Biodiversity: Analysis, Policy and Management, School of Biological Sciences.

A newly discovered turtle species has provided scientists with a missing link between the terrestrial turtles from the Triassic period to the modern day aquatic turtles.

The discovery provides scientists with proof that aquatic turtles were roaming the earth at least 164 million years ago.

The new species, called Eileanchelys waldmani, was discovered after six fossils were found embedded in a rock on the Scottish Island of Skye.

“Although the majority of modern turtles are aquatic forms, it has been convincingly demonstrated that the most primitive turtles from the Triassic, about 210m years ago, were exclusively terrestrial.” said Jérémy Anquetin of the department of palaeontology at London’s Natural History Museum.

“Until the discovery of Eileanchelys, we thought that adaptation to an aquatic habitat might have appeared among primitive turtles but we had no fossil evidence of that.”

“Now we know for sure that there were aquatic turtles around 164m years ago. This discovery also demonstrates that turtles were more ecologically diverse early in their history than had been suspected before.”

The ancient turtle (Eileanchelys waldmani), in its natural habitat 164 million years ago. This illustration represents a reconstruction of the Kilmaluag Formation fauna (late Bathonian, Isle of Skye, Scotland).

About The Turtle’s Name

Anquetin, who was also one of the researchers who analysed the fossils, also created the name for the species. 

“I liked the idea of giving it a name in Gaelic, so I tried to find words that sound good in Gaelic and Latin.” he said.

“I chose ‘Eilean’, so the whole name means ‘the turtle from the island’.”

The Turtle’s Appearance

Mr Anquetin says that, although the ancient turtle would have resembled a modern freshwater turtle on the outside, on the inside there are key differences.

“The differences are on the inside - in the cranial anatomy. They are small differences but very important. There is no other turtle like this one.” he explained. 

Analyzing The Fossils

The six fossils were found at the bay of Cladach a’Ghlinne, on the Strathaird peninsula in 2004. Researchers from the Natural History Museum and University College London then cut the slab of rock away, painstakenly released the fossils from the rock, then analyzed them.  

The new species is the most complete Middle Jurassic turtle species ever described. The findings were reported in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.

The specimens are now being housed in the National Museums Scotland, Edinburgh.

Satellite tracking has revealed that Great White Sharks travel large distances to unlikely places. Photo: Terry Goss.

Two great white sharks have traveled 4,000 kilometers from the cold waters of southern New Zealand to the tropical waters of North East Australia.

The sharks began their journey in Stewart Island - 30 kilometers south of New Zealand’s South Island, and made their way to the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of the Australian state of Queensland.

The journey, of which one shark dived 1,000 meters, has surprised scientists who were studying the sharks. 

“We used to think great white sharks were shallow-water coastal species that lived in cold areas, where there were lots of seals to eat,” said Malcolm Francis, of the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research in Wellington.

“Now we have changed our impression of what they do.”

Possible World Record

Dr Francis added that the 1,000 meter dive could even be a world record for a great white shark.

Although various reports on the Internet claim that great whites have been known to dive to as much as 1,280 meters, great whites, which are known for swimming close to the surface, rarely dive to more than 800 meters below the surface. 

It’s likely that the shark was chasing a giant squid or phosphorescent fish at the time. Dr Francis says that at those depths, it would have been pitch black, and the shark would have been guided by the glow of the fish.

Great Whites “Know Where They’re Going”

National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) and the Conservation Department have been attaching satellite tracking devices to great white sharks to measure position, depth and water temperature. After several months, the devices eventually detach themselves from the shark and float to the surface, where data is transmitted to a satellite.

Dr Francis was also surprised to learn that the sharks traveled in a straight line, and covered up to 120 kilometers per day. 

“They seem to know where they are going,” he said.

Census researchers from New Zealand hold giant Macroptychaster sea stars that can grow up to 60cm across. Photo: National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, New Zealand, 2007.

Scientists are well on their way to releasing the world’s first Census of Marine Life (CoML), with astonishing discoveries continuing to being made and more than 5,300 new species found since 2003.

In fact, new species are being discovered faster than they can be described and named.

Discoveries aren’t just limited to new species though. Many of the surprising discoveries are related to distribution and abundance of known marine species throughout the world. 

Highlights of the discoveries will be officially released at the World Conference on Marine Biodiversity being held in Spain this week. The conference, organized by the Census’s European affiliate program on Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning, will take place in Valencia between 11th and 15th of November.

In the meantime, the CoML fourth highlights report outlines some of the major discoveries.

Highlights

There are many highlights outlined in the report. Some of the major ones include:

A male sea spider carries its eggs on specially adapted appendages under its body; it is one of many possible new species from the Antarctic. Census researchers are trying to understand the evolutionary history of these curious animals. Photo: Cédric d’Udekem, Royal Belgium Institute for Natural Sciences 2007.

• “White Shark Café” - Scientists have discovered previously unknown behavior of white sharks travelling long distances to the Pacific each winter. During this time, the sharks will make frequent, repetitive dives to depths of 300 meters. While researchers are unsure of the reason, they suspect that it may have something to do with feeding or reproduction.
• Giant amphipod - During an expedition to the Antarctic, scientists discovered one of Antarctica’s biggest-ever amphipod crustaceans, measuring almost 10 centimeters long. The CAML scientists also found around 1,000 other species, including eighteen potentially new species. The discovery was made possible due to the collapse of the Larsen A and B ice shelves, which allowed the scientists to explore a 10,000 kilometer section of the Antarctic Weddell Sea.
• High percentage of new species - An Australian expedition - COMARGE “Voyages of Discovery” - resulted in a very high discovery rate of new species. Of the 524 Decapoda (crabs, shrimps, prawns, lobsters, etc) species found, 33 percent are thought to be new species. Furthermore, 25 percent are records in the region, and eight percent are records for Australia. 
• Giant oysters - The COMARGE explorers discovered dense communities of gigantic oysters. The oysters, thought to be a new species, are 20 cm long and reside at a depth of 700 meters.
• World’s deepest known active hot vent - ChEss scientists in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge explored the world’s deepest known active hot vent, field named Ashadze. The hot vent is over 4,100 meters deep, dominated by anemones, polychaete worms and shrimp.

Juvenile representatives of the Antarctic and deep-sea genera of octopuses. Clockwise from top left , (1) Pareledone charcoti, a shallow-water species from the Antarctica Peninsula, (2) Thaumeledone gunteri, a deep-water species endemic to South Georgia, (3) Adelieledone polymoprha, a species endemic to the western Antarctic, (4) Megaleledone setebos, a shallow-water circum-Antarctic species endemic to the Southern Ocean. Photo credit: I. Everson (T. gunteri), M. Rauschert (M. setebos), L. Allcock (P. charcoti. A, polymorpha).

Good Progress

A brightly colored comb jelly swims in the high Arctic waters of the Canada Basin. Photo: Kevin Raskoff, Monterey Peninsula College.

Scientists involved in the project appear to be happy with the progress so far.

“Not only do we have a better picture of the distribution of the animals that stay in place, we are approaching a global picture of the movements of animals, whether swirling in eddies the size of Ireland, or commuting 8,000 kilometers across ocean basins,” said Ron O’Dor Canadian squid expert and Census co-senior scientist.

“And understanding how behavior and the environment combine to determine the movement of many animals is within reach.” he continued.

French deep-sea explorer and vice-chair of the Census, Myriam Sibuet (France) said “The impressive number of landmark findings over the past two years reveals the richness of what remains to be discovered.  The vastness of the ocean and our new research tools keep marine biology forever young.”

About Census of Marine Life

The Census of Marine Life (CoML) is a 10-year scientific initiative to assess and explain life in the oceans. Including a global network of more than 2,000 researchers from 82 nations, the purpose of the initiative is to assess and explain the diversity, distribution, and abundance of marine life. The first consensus will be released in 2010.

The project was brought about by the fact that we still have relatively little knowledge about what lives in our oceans. To date, there isn’t a single list or database that contains all known marine species - let alone their distribution, and abundance. 

Scientists estimate that there could be more than a million marine species if all small animals and protists are included. To date, only about 230,000 species have been described and reside in jars in collections in museums of natural history and other repositories.

The 4th CoML highlights report will be officially released at the World Conference on Marine Biodiversity, Valencia, Spain, Nov. 11-15.

I’ve been reading a little about ‘acoustic smog’ and its affect on marine life within our oceans.

Acoustic smog is basically another way of saying ‘noise pollution’. In particular, it is a term often used to describe the noise in our oceans that come from man-made sources. This typically includes sources such as:

The Impact of Acoustic Smog on Nature

It seems that acoustic smog could be having a devastating affect on the whales, dolpins, and other mammals in our oceans. Sound plays an important part in the survival of the 80 or so cetacean species, which includes whales, dolpins and porpoises.

Because these animals use acoustic signals for orientation, reproduction, and even feeding, the introduction of man-made noises over the last hundred years or so appears to be impacting on the cetaceans’ ability to do these things. There’s also widespread concern that acoustic smog is directly contributing to the death of many cetaceans. 

It is thought that the affects of acoustic smog on cestaceans include:

• displacement
• avoidance reactions
• collisions with ships
• mass stranding
• hearing damage
• death

Furthermore, evidence strongly suggests that man-made noise often causes lesions in acoustic organs of cestaceans, which are severe enough to cause death. 

Further Research

Unfortunately, there isn’t enough scientific knowledge to be able to come to strong conclusions on understanding the relationships of frequencies, intensities, and duration of exposures in producing damage. More research needs to be done in this area, and many research bodies are appealing for assistance in this area.

Sons de Mar, for example, say this about their continued efforts in this area:

Academic research generally depends on external funding through public channels and commercial companies. Since the effects of noise pollution on the marine environment have not yet been completely implemented in national programs, funding through these sources is limited.

And:

Therefore, we appeal to private sources to guarantee the continuity of this research. ‘Sons de Mar’ (Sounds of the Sea) was created as a public interface aimed at involving society through donations that will allow to collaborate with all the aspects of the scientific work.

The impact of dangerous sonor on marine life is not a new concern. The Cetacean Society International (CSI) website provides articles on this subject dating as far back as 1995. 

Also, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) first wrote a report on this subject in 1999. The report has since been updated and is called Sounding the Depths II: The Rising Toll of Sonar, Shipping and Industrial Ocean Noise on Marine Life. The online report includes an acompanying movie, narrated by Pierce Brosnan.