There are many different sources of chemical pollution. Domestic sewage, industrial discharges, seepage from waste sites, atmospheric fallout, domestic run-off, accidents and spills at sea, operational discharges from oil rigs, mining discharges and agricultural run-off all contribute too whale, dolphin and porpoise habitat and health.
Hearing is the most important sense for cetaceans, and the ability to hear well is vital in all key aspects of their lives including finding food, navigating and social interactions. Any threat to this ability can seriously compromise individuals, populations and ultimately whole species. Human-created noise pollution comes from shipping and other vessels, military activities, fisheries anti-predation devices, ocean research, and the air-guns used in seismic testing to find oil and gas deposits. An emerging threat to whales, dolphins and porpoises are the potential impacts of marine wind farms.
Whilst many of the sources of noise pollution are localized, some recent military technologies have utilized powerful detection mechanisms that may radiate over thousands of kilometers of the ocean.
WDCS places significant emphasis on our research and negotiations to uncover, understand, control and ultimately eradicate all forms of chemical and noise pollution that threaten whales, dolphins and porpoises.
In The Gulf Of Mexico With Greenpeace
WDCS biologist Sue Rocca is on a 2-week leg of a research cruise aboard the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise in the Gulf of Mexico where WDCS is looking at the long term impacts of the oil spill.
2010-August-31
Oil Spills Proliferate - The WDCS View
WDCS calls on President Obama to pull back from encouraging further drilling in US waters, and
for an independent world review of the effects of oil spills.
2010-May-06
Australian Marine Environment Suffers Another Oil Spill
The spill from the Shen Neng 1 off Rockhampton into the waters of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park has so far released about a thousand litres of fuel oil but there are fears that many thousands still on board will also pollute the area.
2010-April-06
Scientists Record Birth Of Endangered Right Whale Near Proposed Undersea Warfare Training Range
On March 20th, while conducting surveys of an area the Navy plans to use for Undersea Warfare Training (USWTR) off Florida, scientists documented the birth of a critically endangered North Atlantic right whale.
2010-March-23
The Protest About The Oil Spill Continues
The WDCS team, together with campaigners across Australia have been fighting an ecological catastrophe, the Timor Sea oil spill. Add your voice to the Australian protest to prevent this happening again.
2009-November-09
The Timor Oil Spill - A Slow Motion Disaster
Since 21 August 2009 between 400-2000 barrels of oil a day has been leaking from an offshore oil rig into the Timor Sea, and spinner dolphins are confirmed to be within the oil slick.
2009-October-24
Success For Cetaceans In The Moray Firth
WDCS is pleased to report that the Royal Navy and its NATO allies did not carry out any active sonar operations in the Moray Firth during its recent Joint Warrior exercise.
2009-October-23
Threat To Marine Environment Grows As Oil Continues To Escape From Fractured Pipe Into Timor Sea
Oil continues to pump into Timor Sea (250km off the West Australian coast) at a rate of around 400 barrels a day, after it was revealed that a third successive attempt to plug the leak has failed.
2009-October-14
Exploring Underwater Sound
WDCS has a new acoustic exhibit at the Wildlife Centre at Spey Bay. Visitors can explore biological, environmental, and anthropogenic sounds and visualise how these sound waves look on a colourful spectrogram.
2009-August-27
Navy Sonar “smoking Gun” In Whale And Dolphin Strandings
A new scientific publication co-authored by WDCS has concluded a strong link between naval mid frequency sonar and whale and dolphin strandings.
2008-June-12
Noise Pollution
Shipping, marine industries and military activities around the world are introducing powerful, loud noise into the oceans.
2008-February-25