Underwater Seismic Testing Linked To Whale Beachings - Robin Good's Latest News
A controversial research project using sound waves, or sonar, to search for information about the asteroid that may have wiped out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, began early on Friday, January 21, 2004 off Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, amid protests from environmental activists.
Gail Christeson, a University of Texas marine seismologist working on the project, said she had participated in at least four seismic cruises and "we have never seen any effect on marine life." She said she has seen dolphins swimming next to the boat that "don't seem to be affected at all as far as we can observe by air guns".
This action came just two weeks after the European Parliament...adopted a groundbreaking resolution calling for a moratorium on the use of high-intensity active naval sonars.
It also came days after the Spanish Ministry of Defence announced its intention to ACCOBAMS to prohibit all active sonar exercises off the coast of the Canary Islands, the site of many whale strandings coincident with military training exercises.
Michael Moore said, "One of the quietest zones in the ocean is right up at the surface - they might be trying to get away from the noise."
From November 28, 2004 to January 7, 2005, there have been recorded incidents of around 200 whale beachings on the coasts of the island of Tasmania, 240 km off the south-eastern coast of the Australian continent. This is an unprecedented number and has caused widespread concern."
Senator Brown said in both cases seismic tests, involving so-called sound bombing of ocean floors to test for oil and gas, were carried out in the days before the whales were stranded.
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