AbstractUnderwater noise pollution from ships is a chronic, global stressor impacting a wide range of marine species. Ambient ocean noise levels nearly doubled each decade from 1963-2007 in low-frequency bands attributed to shipping, inspiring a pledge from the International Maritime Organization to reduce ship noise and a call from the International Whaling Commission for member nations to halve ship noise within a decade. Our analysis of data from 1,582 ships reveals that half of the total power radiated by a modern fleet comes from just 15% of the ships, namely those with source levels above 179 dB re 1 μPa @ 1 m. We present a range of management options for reducing ship noise efficiently, including incentive-based programs, without necessarily regulating the entire fleet.

Authors and affiliationsScott R. Veirs1, Val R. Veirs2, Rob Williams3, Michael Jasny4, Jason D. Wood51Beam Reach Marine Science & Sustainability, Seattle, WA, U.S.2Colorado College Physics Department, Colorado Springs, CO, U.S.3Pew Fellow in Marine Conservation, Vancouver, BC, Canada4Natural Resources Defense Council, Vancouver, BC, Canada5SMRU Consulting, Friday Harbor, WA, U.S.Corresponding author:Scott Veirs1Email address: [email protected]