Ocean noise pollution is increasingly recognized as a significant threat to marine life, particularly affecting the communication and survival of whales. The Meadowcreek Cosmobots Robotics Team, concerned about the health of the country’s marine life, started this petition to address the issue of noise pollution caused by commercial shipping. This petition aims to make seasonal slow-downs mandatory, balancing marine life preservation with commercial activities. Will you sign the petition to help protect marine life by advocating for mandatory ship slow-downs?
Human-generated ocean noise is a serious concern for marine life. According to a study by Clark et al., in 2009, this noise interferes with the ability of marine mammals like whales to communicate, find food, and navigate. Unabated, it may even lead to significant population decreases.
Despite these grave consequences, there is a way to mitigate the impact. Reducing ship speeds in regions known to house whales have been shown to decrease noise levels significantly. Larson et al.'s (2016) study also found that such ship slow-downs have minimal impact on shipping profitability. Moreover, several companies have already participated in voluntary slow-downs, demonstrating the feasibility of this approach.
Thus, our proposition is simple yet powerful: require mandatory seasonal slow-downs in regions inhabited by whales, reducing noise pollution and mitigating harm to the affected marine species. We believe it's a win-win situation!
So, we call upon legislators and shipping companies to implement this rule. It’s time to strike a balance between marine life preservation and commercial activities. Please sign this petition and help us urge the decision-makers to make a positive change.
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