SHIPPING NOISE  is one of the most ubiquitous sounds in the sea, generated by trans-ocean shipping. Cavitation and turbulence generated by propellers is the dominant noise source, but also transmission of mechanical noise through a ship’s hull.

Some great work is being done by Chris Clark’s lab at Cornell and by John Hildebrand’s lab at Scripps to understand the impacts of this problem, and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has come up with noise standards and recommendations to quiet down the merchant fleet, but as long as there is international commerce in goods there will be shipping noise.