Reducing Noise Pollution from Commercial Shipping in the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary: A Case Study in Marine Protected Area Management of Underwater Noise

Attempts to reduce noise pollution from commercial shipping in the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, were discussed. Increase in background ambient noise levels might interfere with a marine mammal's ability to detect important sounds, such as communications from members of its own species, prey sounds, or natural sounds that aid navigation or foraging. It was believed that commercial shipping noise posed potential to harm marine species in the Sanctuary. Vessel operations statistics indicated steady growth in vessel traffic over the past few decades. Ship-quieting technology had significant potential to address the issue of noise pollution from commercial shipping not only in the Sanctuary, but also worldwide. It was concluded that there was a great potential to mitigate the threat of anthropogenic noise through the use of Marine Protected areas (MPA) management.