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Healthy oceans need healthy soundscapes

KAUST ·

A KAUST-led study published in Science found overwhelming evidence that man-made noise negatively impacts marine fauna and their ecosystems, disrupting behavior, physiology, and reproduction. The researchers assessed over 10,000 papers to demonstrate that noise pollution from shipping, fishing, and infrastructure development harms marine life from invertebrates to whales. They call for human-induced noise to be considered a prevalent stressor at the global scale and for policy to be developed to mitigate its effects. Why it matters: This research highlights the need to consider acoustic dimensions in ocean health restoration efforts, promoting management actions to reduce noise levels and allow marine animals to re-establish their use of ocean sound.

KAUST scientists lead Saudi Arabia's first scientific mission to Antarctica

KAUST ·

KAUST researchers Carlos Preckler and Diego Rivera participated in Saudi Arabia's first scientific mission to Antarctica from January 11 to February 27. They collected ocean samples to study how whale populations mitigate climate change through carbon sequestration. The team aims to quantify the impact of whales on carbon capture and correlate whale population dynamics with carbon sequestration over the past 400 years. Why it matters: This research provides valuable insights into the economic benefits of whale conservation and contributes to global efforts in understanding the role of marine ecosystems in climate change mitigation.