posted on Dec, 16 2013 @ 08:05 AM
Back in 2010, the Navy funded 5-year studies to find out how their sonar testing affects marine mammals.
The study period isn't over, but independent research is already being published showing harm ranging from stress to confusion to beach strandings.
For example:
Two recent studies off the Southern California coast found certain endangered blue whales and beaked whales stopped feeding and fled
from recordings of sounds similar to military sonar.
Source
NBC San Diego
The article goes on to say that a federal judge declared the marine fisheries agency that approved the Navy's 5-year permit for sonar testing in
offshore waters did not utilize the best available data before giving their green light.
The California Coastal Commision has rejected the Navy's 5-year plan for Southern California waters, but they don't have the power to block the
drills.
Here are the Navy's own estimates of possible damage to marine mammals:
The Navy estimates that its activities could inadvertently kill 186 whales and dolphins off the East Coast and 155 off Hawaii and Southern
California, mostly from explosives.
It calculates more than 11,000 serious injuries off the East Coast and 2,000 off Hawaii and Southern California, along with nearly 2 million minor
injuries, such as temporary hearing loss, off each coast.
It also predicts marine mammals might change their behavior -- such as swimming in a different direction -- in 27 million instances.
???
There are areas of the oceans that don't harbor high numbers of large mammals. Why don't they do their training in those areas? And with all the
money at the military's disposal, they can't come up with a realistic training simulator for sailors?
The funds given for these studies were obviously just a token "see, we care about the environment" play. The Navy will still do whatever, wherever it
chooses.
Renewals of 5-year permits have already been approved for the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic waters, with a condition of yearly reviews of the latest
science...
Additional information on the dangers of sonar testing near marine mammals:
Nature
ATS thread from 2006
Ocean Mammal Institute
Military to triple 2009 levels of testing
Blue Ocean
Natural Resources Defense Counciledit on 12/16/2013 by Olivine because: more
links