SILENCE PLEASE!

We often read this sign in libraries, conference rooms, or any place where noise is unwelcome. But perhaps we need to put this sign in our seas, too. People are often longing for a quiet environment and should better apply this idea to the habitat of our aquatic friends. Noises caused by loud bangs, explosions, humming of ship engines, and other irritating sounds are endangering the fishes that rely on their super-sensitive hearing to navigate and communicate. Scientists found out that whales and dolphins that died stranded on beaches and shallow waters in the Bahamas had severe ear traumas.

But it is not only the loudness that bothers our aquatic friends but also the pitch and frequency. Some sounds that are inaudible for human's hearing may be too loud for their hearing range and vice versa.

So, every time you get into water, remember: SILENCE PLEASE!

Thanks to : HEALTH & HOME (2002) -Newslines