I live only a couple blocks away from a busy section of railway, and every time I hear a train go by I am reminded of my work. You might think this is strange because my research is not related to trains, but it is not the train itself that reminds me…it is the blaring horn.

I am interested in looking at how noise in the ocean is disruptive to the animals that live there. Although it may be a bit anthropomorphic to say that my experience of a passing train outside my house is similar to a marine mammal in a shipping lane, many studies agree that noise (especially loud noise) is very disruptive.

In addition to weather and other animals, human activity such as shipping and fishing adds a great amount of noise to the ocean environment. And now the United States may to add even more noise by opening up new areas for oil drilling. Of course, drilling in the ocean is not new, but time and experience shows that it is not without problems. From searching for reserves, to rig installation, to the actual extraction, drilling is noisy and invasive.

Ocean drilling is a hot topic in recent news, but not every article mentions noise. As our government moves towards decisions about oil drilling in new areas, I hope that noise will become a larger part of the conversation.

Disclaimer: The aim of this post is to spread information, not start a debate. Politics are complicated and this is not my platform to share personal opinions.