Hot Topic – Searching for MH370
Searching for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 UPDATE 2017: On January 17, 2017 the tripartite Ministers of Australia, Malaysia and China announced that the underwater search for MH370 was suspended....
View ArticleHot Topic – Mass Stranding
Mass Strandings The term stranding refers to an aquatic animal observed in an inappropriate location, for example, an offshore species found inshore. Most often, stranded animals are found on a beach...
View ArticleHot Topic- Ocean-Based Renewable Energy
Ocean-Based Renewable Energy The European Union (EU) has committed to producing 20% of its energy from renewable sources by 2020. This has led countries such as Sweden, Ireland, Germany, and Denmark to...
View ArticleHot Topic – Hearing Sensitivity
False killer whales can lower their hearing sensitivity A recent paper by Paul Nachtigall and Alexander Supin describes how a false killer whale is able to lower its hearing sensitivity before a...
View ArticleHot Topic – Monitoring Wind Farm Construction
Monitoring the Construction of the First U.S. Offshore Wind Farm for Potential Noise Impacts on Marine Life Scientists deploy a hydrophone array to monitor the noise from construction of wind turbines...
View ArticleHot Topic – Tracking Great White Sharks
Acoustic Tracking Technologies Shed Light on the Feeding Behavior of Great White Sharks (left) Specially modified REMUS (remote environmental monitoring unit) autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) used...
View ArticleHot Topic – Deep Ocean Sounds
Hot Topic Scientists Measure Ambient Noise Levels in One of the Deepest Parts of the Global Ocean The ocean is filled with sound. Sound levels in the ocean differ from location to location and...
View ArticleHot Topic – Guidance on Determining Potential Effects to Marine Mammal Hearing
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is the U.S. federal agency that is responsible for the stewardship of the nation’s ocean resources, including the management of the majority of marine...
View ArticleHot Topic- Passive Acoustic Monitoring Critical to Vaquita Conservation Efforts
An international team of experts have partnered on a “bold” conservation plan (VaquitaCPR; https://www.vaquitacpr.org) to prevent the most endangered marine mammal in the world, the vaquita porpoise...
View ArticleHot Topic – Listening to Monterey Bay
Hydrophone Provides Continuous, Live Stream of Deep Sea Sounds from Monterey Bay Location of the MARS hydrophone, on the Smooth Ridge, at the edge of Monterey Canyon, approximately 30 km (18 mi) from...
View ArticleHot Topic – Measuring Methane Bubble Plumes
Using Underwater Acoustics to Detect and Measure Global Ocean Methane Flux Close up imagery of methane hydrate. Scientists study methane hydrates as a potential natural gas source and for its potential...
View ArticleHot Topic – Seismic Airguns
An engineer prepares to deploy a single airgun. The airgun will be suspended about 8 m below the water surface from the white float seen at the bottom of the image. Image courtesy of the National...
View ArticleHot Topic- Killer Whales and Vessel Noise
Measuring and mitigating the potential impacts of vessel noise on endangered killer whales Underwater sound associated with commercial vessel traffic is one, recognized threat to the southern resident...
View ArticleDecoding the hum of submarine volcanic eruptions
Earthquakes and other geologic events produce acoustic signals that can be measured and monitored on land and underwater. Seismic energy from submarine earthquakes is converted into acoustic energy at...
View ArticleChanges in Baleen Whale Vocalizations
Decadal Decreases in the Frequency (Pitch) of Baleen Whale Vocalizations Blue whales are the largest living mammal species. Their long, slender bodies can reach lengths of 30.5 m (100 ft) and weigh up...
View ArticleUnderwater Acoustic Impacts of COVID-19
The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has had a major impact on society around the globe. Shelter-in-place orders and non-essential travel bans have had significant effects at all levels, from local to...
View ArticleHot Topic – Sound waves from earthquakes can reveal changes in ocean temperature
Background One of the ocean’s response to global climate change is a rise in average water temperature. Where in the ocean the warming occurs and the rate at which it occurs are of great interest to...
View ArticleSeafloor exploration with fin whale calls
Illustration of a seismic survey with two ships, one with the sound source and the other with an array of hydrophones. Image Credit: DOSITS. At the bottom of the ocean, there are layers of sediments...
View ArticleGlacial Calving in the Arctic Produces Record Source Levels
Iceberg calving is a natural process, occurring when a rift opens in the edge of a glacier, caused by wind or water erosion, melting ice, or other events, resulting in an iceberg breaking away and...
View ArticleUsing Drones to Deploy Digital Acoustic Tags
On June 8, 2022, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary announced the successful use of...
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