Sounds and whales

2002/10/30 Roa Zubia, Guillermo - Elhuyar Zientzia

• Zoologia
• Ozeanografia

Last September, two whales with beaks were found dead in the Gulf of California, Mexico. Not far from there, two ships from Columbia University were investigating through the sounds, using air guns provoked sound pulses to the background and the echo received allowed them to know the relief of the place.

Some biologists related both data, that is, whale death and underwater sound. The relationship between the two is not evident, but there is no doubt that sound is a great disturbance in the underwater ecosystem. In addition, the minced whales have not been well researched, as they live in deep waters and scientists do not know the influence that this type of disturbance can have on these species. Therefore, a debate was opened in which biologists asked the NSF to suspend this work and brought the debate to court.

Now, the jury has decided to bet on biologists and the NSF has had to force the ship to return to the port. NSF authorities disagree with the decision, as no relationship between sounds and whales has been demonstrated. However, according to biologists and some environmental groups, the ship did not have all environmental permits, although it needed them to work in Mexican waters.