Ocean noise and other stressors

Efforts to minimize human-produced underwater ocean noise and other stressors on Canada's marine environment.

In this section

• About ocean noise and its impact
• Canada's Ocean Noise Strategy
• Examples of ocean noise-related initiatives
• Managing the marine environmental quality

Canada's marine environment is made up of estuaries, coastal areas and offshore marine waters, which are all home to a wide range of marine life. This includes many unique and important species of corals, fish, and whales like the endangered North Atlantic right whale, the Southern Resident killer whale, and the St. Lawrence Estuary beluga. Mitigating the impacts of human activities on Canada's oceans is vital to protecting our marine species and their habitats. Protecting the health of our marine environment also ensures that Canada's oceans economy can continue to grow in a sustainable, environmentally-responsible way.

Human activities in or near the ocean can introduce stressors like noise into the marine environment, potentially disrupting marine species and their ecosystems, and reducing their ability to travel, communicate, and find food. To preserve the quality of the marine environment, the Government of Canada is collaborating with key partners to:

• Identify and understand ecological stressors, such as human-produced underwater noise; and,
• Develop and improve measures to mitigate the impacts of human activities on the health and quality of our oceans, including impacts to whales and other marine species.