COVID Offers Rare Chance for Scientists to Study Quieter Oceans

The economic slowdown caused by the coronavirus led to a sharp drop in shipping¹ traffic around the world. This has given scientists a rare chance to observe quieter oceans.

One international project has been launched² to listen to the sounds of the sea to study how the reduced shipping activity has affected³ sea life.

Many scientists have long dreamed of the chance to observe the sounds of a quiet ocean. One of them is environmental scientist Jesse Ausubel. He leads the Program for the Human Environment at The Rockefeller University in New York.

Eleven years ago, Ausubel dreamed aloud about the possibility during a speech to university students. He asked: What if scientists could record the sounds of the ocean in the days before engine-powered ships and boats began traveling the world?

In such an environment, researchers could listen to underwater communications between blue whales hundreds of kilometers apart. They could record the sounds of groups of dolphins. Scientists could carry out the observations without human influences, with the goal of understanding the ways industrial activity affects sea life.

Ausubel told the Reuters news agency⁴ that at first he suggested one year of "quiet ocean," a period during which shipping would come to a halt⁵, or at least be greatly slowed down. But he realized that such a period was not realistic and dropped his goal to one month. Then, finally, he hoped for just a few hours.

His desire to create a quiet ocean experiment drew interest from about 100 supportive scientists. In 2015, the group published a plan of how to carry out the International Quiet Ocean Experiment, if the right possibility ever presented itself.

That chance came in March, when the coronavirus led to an extreme economic slowdown that halted⁶ shipping traffic. Leaders of the experiment quickly organized efforts to establish a network of listening stations to pick up ocean sounds across the world.

The stations use hydrophones, instruments used for listening and recording⁷ underwater sounds. In May, the group reported it had helped set up 130 underwater listening stations.

The hydrophones were already in place, including six stations that had been set up to listen for underwater nuclear tests. But the group reported recently that it was working with the hydrophone operators⁸ to collect data that will be closely⁹ examined.

One of the project's supporters is Peter Tyack, a professor of marine¹⁰ mammal biology at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland¹¹. "Well, we're not excited that (coronavirus) happened, but we're happy to be able to take advantage of the scientific opportunity," he told Reuters. "It would have just been impossible any other way."

Tyack says the recordings¹² should give scientists a never-before look at the oceans with little human interference¹³. Generally, the group will be looking to see if whales and other sea mammals changed behaviors because of the quieter oceans. For example, they will examine whether the animals used quieter signals to each other, communicated more effectively or changed habitats.

The group hopes to publish its first results this summer, followed by a full report next year on how the reduction¹⁴ in shipping changed the behavior of ocean mammals and other sea life.

There has already been some anecdotal evidence of such behavioral changes, Ausubel said. "There have been observations near Vancouver of orcas coming closer to the city than was customary¹⁵, and off Scotland," he said.

Ausubel noted¹⁶ that orcas, dolphins and humpback whales communicate using high-frequency sounds that do not travel far. So they often gather in less deep waters. He said this may have caused some animals to move closer to once-busy ports.

I'm Bryan Lynn.

Words in This Story

take advantage of – phr. to use (something, such as an opportunity) in a way that helps you : to make good use of (something)

opportunity – n. a situation in which it is possible to do something

mammal – n. an animal that feeds babies on milk from its body

habitat – n. the natural living environment for living things

anecdotal – adj. consisting of things people have said and not based on fact

customary – adj. normal or expected for a particular situation

high-frequency – adj. a frequency of 3–30 megahertz

1 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。

2 launched   

v.发射( launch的过去式和过去分词 )；[计算机]开始（应用程序）；发动；开展（活动、计划等）

参考例句：

• He launched a bitter diatribe against the younger generation. 他对年轻一代发起了猛烈的抨击。
• The product was launched amid much fanfare worldwide. 这个产品在世界各地隆重推出。

3 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

4 agency   

n.经办；代理；代理处

参考例句：

• This disease is spread through the agency of insects.这种疾病是通过昆虫媒介传播的。
• He spoke in the person of Xinhua News Agency.他代表新华社讲话。

5 halt   

n.停住，停止，暂停；v.(使)停住，(使)停止

参考例句：

• When the children's play got too noisy, their mother called a halt.当孩子们的游戏过于吵闹时，他们的母亲叫他们停下来。
• No one can halt the advance of history.没人能阻挡历史的前进。

6 halted   

v.（使）停下来( halt的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The terrorists have halted their bloody campaign of violence. 恐怖分子已经停止了他们凶残的暴力活动。
• She walked towards him and then halted. 她向他走去，然后停下。

7 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

8 operators   

n.（某企业的）经营者( operator的名词复数 )；（机器、设备等的）操作员；电话接线员；投机取巧者

参考例句：

• A plethora of new operators will be allowed to enter the market. 大批新的运营商将获准进入该市场。 来自辞典例句
• Green house operators have considerable opportunity for precise manipulation of nutrients. 温室管理员有很多机会来准确控制养分。 来自辞典例句

9 closely   

adv.紧密地；严密地，密切地

参考例句：

• We shall follow closely the development of the situation.我们将密切注意形势的发展。
• The two companies are closely tied up with each other.这两家公司之间有密切联系。

10 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

11 Scotland   

n.苏格兰

参考例句：

• He has been hiking round Scotland for a month.他围着苏格兰徒步旅行了一个月。
• Scotland is to the north of England.苏格兰在英格兰之北。

12 recordings   

n.记录( recording的名词复数 )；录音；录像；唱片

参考例句：

• a boxed set of original recordings 一套盒装原声录音带
• old jazz recordings reissued on CD 以激光唱片重新发行的老爵士乐

13 interference   

n.干涉，介入；阻碍，干扰

参考例句：

• I couldn't hear the program because there was too much interference.因干扰太大，我听不清节目。
• We oppose interference by any outside force.我们反对任何外来势力插手干预。

14 reduction   

n.减少，减低，减缩；减少，减低

参考例句：

• Reduction in income tax will be welcomed with open arms.减少所得税将受到热烈欢迎。
• You will have a reduction for cash.付现金可以打折扣。

15 customary   

adj.习惯上的，惯常的，合乎习俗的

参考例句：

• He makes his customary visit every week.他每星期都按照惯例造访一次。
• It is customary with me to do so.这样做是我的习惯。

16 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。