That marine mammals have a rich sonic life has been well understood for several decades. What we didn’t understand until recently is how much we’ve changed the ocean soundscape, and how much we will continue to change the soundscape. Many of our new alternative energy plans involve maritime structures – offshore wind farms, wave energy converters, submerged turbines – that will contribute to this change. Are they worth the trade-offs? Assuming we have to move forward without sonic mitigation technology, how should we manage and regulate for a greener future with a bit of sonic?
