New report calls for Arctic policy action on underwater noise

[Stockholm, Sweden] — A new Arctic Council report predicts that underwater noise from shipping will increase significantly across the Arctic Ocean by 2030—nearly quadrupling in intensity. Such a dramatic rise in noise levels would pose serious risks to whales, seals and other Arctic ocean species, warns WWF.

As the Arctic warms nearly four times faster than the rest of the planet, shrinking sea ice is opening up new shipping routes and accelerating industrial activity across the region. A new report released by the Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment (PAME) Working Group of the Arctic Council projects that increased vessel traffic, combined with diminishing sea ice, will drive a 5 decibel (dB) rise in median underwater noise levels in the Arctic Ocean by 2030.

Since a 3 dB increase corresponds to a doubling of sound intensity, a 5 dB rise represents nearly four times more underwater sound energy. For marine species that rely on sound to survive, this can induce stress and drastically shrink their ability to detect prey, communicate, navigate, and avoid predators.

“Underwater noise pollution is an invisible but rapidly growing threat in the Arctic,” says Dr. Melanie Lancaster, Senior Species Lead, WWF Global Arctic Programme. “Marine mammals are especially vulnerable because they use sound to survive, but impacts extend to other ocean life such as fish and mussels, with effects rippling through entire ecosystems.”

Even small increases in ship traffic matter

The report shows that even modest increases in shipping can have outsized effects on underwater noise due to the way sound behaves in Arctic waters. Cold temperatures allow soundwaves to travel farther, closer to the water’s surface, which means noise from ships often overlaps with swimming and diving animals like narwhals, bowhead whales, and walrus that come to the surface to breathe.

A noisier Arctic Ocean threatens to erode the acoustic habitats of these species, which are important for ocean health and the cultures and livelihoods of many coastal Indigenous peoples. As vessel traffic expands in national waters, underwater noise is also projected to spread into previously quiet places including the Central Arctic Ocean. 

A toolbox of solutions—but no Arctic-specific rules yet

Using sophisticated modelling, the report explores a range of potential mitigation measures, including slower vessel speeds, re-routing traffic away from sensitive areas, and adopting noise-reducing ship technologies. These strategies, used individually or in combination, have the potential to significantly reduce underwater noise from ships locally and regionally. In the last decade, the number of ships entering Arctic waters as defined by the Polar Code has risen by 37 per cent and the distance travelled has doubled. Yet despite this unprecedented growth in Arctic shipping, there are still no international rules in place to limit underwater noise from ships operating in the Arctic. WWF is calling on the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to urgently address this, by developing Arctic-specific guidance that incorporates mitigation strategies into global shipping policy or through regulation. WWF also calls on Arctic states and the Arctic Council to lead in advancing coordinated monitoring and management of underwater noise across the region.

“Guidelines only work if there is commitment from the industry, and so far, voluntary action has been too slow to offset growth in Arctic shipping and rising underwater noise pollution. This leaves regulation, which may be the only way to safeguard this special and sensitive region—for less noise, and more life,” says Melanie Lancaster. 

Read the report, Underwater Noise in the Arctic – Understanding impacts and defining management solutions Report — Phase II. 

Read more about the importance of addressing underwater noise.

For further information:
Andrea Norgren | Sr. Manager Communications, WWF Global Arctic Programme | andrea.norgren@wwf.se