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Underwater Noise from Shipping: A Special Case for the Arctic

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Sustainability in the Maritime Domain

Part of the book series: Strategies for Sustainability ((STSU))

Abstract

Until recently, the Arctic Ocean has supported limited shipping, and it remains one of the only oceans on the planet to be relatively unpolluted by anthropogenic underwater noise. Climate change is transforming the Arctic Ocean and opening it to unprecedented levels of industrial development, including shipping expansion. Concurrently, Arctic marine biodiversity—relied upon by many coastal Indigenous communities—is under pressure to adapt to rapid environmental changes. In this chapter, we discuss why the Arctic is a special case for underwater noise from shipping and how management tools could be applied to safeguard its unique biodiversity and ecosystems. The Arctic Ocean’s underwater acoustic properties differ from non-polar waters, being primarily affected by sea ice, which is a source, shield and diffuser of underwater sound. Cold water and changing salinity gradients also affect sound propagation underwater. Long-range sound propagation occurs at shallow depths within the swimming and diving ranges of many marine animals, which are likely to be highly sensitive to noise. Finally, Arctic shipping itself has distinctive characteristics, including icebreaking, and has a high propensity for spatial overlap with biodiversity hotspots due to ice cover. With trans-Arctic shipping routes predicted to become navigable by mid to late century, we suggest a proactive approach by Arctic coastal states that addresses key knowledge gaps about noise-sensitive species, systematically monitors underwater soundscapes and holds noise at safe levels for biodiversity. Climate change-induced effects on underwater soundscapes, ecosystem processes and the distribution of biodiversity in time and space must also be accounted for.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/delivery-of-the-navy-s-first-arctic-and-offshore-patrol-ship-delayed-until-2020-1.4682002

  2. 2.

    https://thebarentsobserver.com/ru/node/164

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. WWF Arctic Programme, WWF Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada

    Melanie L. Lancaster & Peter Winsor

  2. WWF Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada

    Andrew Dumbrille

Authors
  1. Melanie L. Lancaster
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  2. Peter Winsor
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  3. Andrew Dumbrille
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Correspondence to Melanie L. Lancaster .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Engineering and Environment, University of Gävle, Gävle, Sweden

    Angela Carpenter

  2. World Maritime University-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute, Malmö, Sweden

    Tafsir M. Johansson

  3. Mat-Su College, University of Alaska Anchorage, Palmer, AK, USA

    Jon A. Skinner

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Lancaster, M.L., Winsor, P., Dumbrille, A. (2021). Underwater Noise from Shipping: A Special Case for the Arctic. In: Carpenter, A., Johansson, T.M., Skinner, J.A. (eds) Sustainability in the Maritime Domain. Strategies for Sustainability. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-69325-1_14

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