Photo credit: Red Brick
by Arline L. Bronzaft, Ph.D., Board of Directors, GrowNYC, Co-founder, The Quiet Coalition, and Honorary Chair, Quiet American Skies
Underwater noise makes it difficult for killer whales to hunt and communicate, which endangers their lives. In response, an organization called Quiet Sound was formed to reduce the acoustic impact on whales. This article covers Quiet Sounds’ activities, specifically how it operates in the Admiralty Inlet and Puget Sound in Washington State.
The National Organization and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries office partnered with Quiet Sound to initiate a program that allows commercial ships, when safe and possible, to voluntarily slow down as they pass through the inlet and sound. This quiets the waters and permits the whales to carry out their life activities with less disruption. Fishing vessels and recreational vessels do not have to slow down.
Research found that about 70% of the 800 ships passing through did indeed slow down. The result? Less noise recorded in the waters. Quiet Sound director Rachel Aronson stated: “It’s great to see this kind of collaboration make such an important contribution to our recovery goals for Southern Resident killer whales.”
I often say that it’s the will, not the way, that’s lacking when it comes to noise reduction. This article clearly demonstrated that when the way was identified, the will followed. I would hope that other “noise-makers” will behave similarly.
