A mass stranding of whales and dolphins in the Bahamas in March has been
linked to underwater noises made by the US Navy. Marine mammal specialists who
examined the animals say that haemorrhages in and around their ears suggest that
they became disoriented after a very loud noise. While low-frequency naval sonar
has been suspected of harming whales in the past, this is the first time
mid-level frequencies, commonly used by battleships, have attracted attention.
“This is an obvious red flag that these systems have to be thoroughly reviewed,”
says Andrew Wetzler of the Natural Resources Defense Council in Los…
To continue reading, today with our introductory offers
Advertisement
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features

Humans
Iron Age Britons may have removed the brains of the dead
News

Life
Frozen squirrel scat preserves ancient DNA from hundreds of species
News

Environment
The last-ditch plan to save coral reefs from utter destruction
Features

Earth
Dinosaur-killing asteroid impact site stayed hot for millions of years
News
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles
1
Mysterious ‘cold blob’ in the Atlantic suggests the AMOC is weakening
2
Why we should all take quantum physics extremely personally
3
Unpicking endometriosis reveals how it affects more than the pelvis
4
Dinosaur-killing asteroid impact site stayed hot for millions of years
5
The last-ditch plan to save coral reefs from utter destruction
6
What really happened when ancient humans migrated out of Africa
7
What is a ‘normal’ memory slowdown, and when should I worry?
8
Does gravity create reality? A shocking path to a theory of everything
9
Earliest use of anaesthetics uncovered in Chinese doctor’s tomb
10
Why your brain needs plenty of “Aha!” moments