Noise Pollution continues to receive increasing attention in international level. This paper reviews a growing body of evidence of the harmful effects of man made noise on marine life. There is an urgent need for a European and global legislative framework for monitoring the effects of underwater noise and regulating the input of underwater noise into the marine environment. The unregulated proliferation of harmful man made noise in the oceans and seas poses potential threat to marine life and ecosystems. The EU Marine strategy process has not been identified underwater noise as a form of pollution. However, a number of applicable legal instruments, including among others, UNCLOSE and the EU Habitats Directive2  Member states with clear obligations to protect marine living resources from disturbance and pollution and to do so in ways that reflect the precautionary principle. Underwater noise should be recognized as a form of pollution within EU legislation and therefore integrated into the Marine Strategy Process, with a view toward developing further specific legislation on the issue.

Keywords:
Reservoir Characterization, communication, protection, sonar, whale, threat, disturbance, conservation, scientific committee, Convention
Subjects:
Reservoir Characterization, Environment, Seismic processing and interpretation
Copyright 2008, Society of Petroleum Engineers
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