According to a new report from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), as seawater turns more acidic, due to absorption of carbon dioxide (CO2) building up in the atmosphere, it allows sound waves to travel farther. While I suppose this is good news for the Deep Sea News boys who are hoping to set-up a Bose surround sound system (with optional subwoofer) on the outside of their submersibles, it might spell an environmental disaster for marine species who utilize sound waves for navigation or feeding.Appearing tomorrow in Geophysical Research Letters, the report predicts that by the year 2050 underwater sounds will travel up to 70% farther in some areas, such as the Atlantic Ocean, than they do today. At first blush this may seem like a benefit--vocal species such as cetaceans will be able to hear each other from greater distances. The unfortunate corollary however is that these very same species become easily stressed by background noise from ship traffic and military sonar. It's been suggested that some unexplained whale strandings and deaths may be linked to increased human-produced noise in areas frequented by whales.
So in addition to more acidic oceans becoming inhospitable to coral reefs and other limestone/calcium carbonate-producing species, they may also provide whales and dolphins with more than an earful.
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