The North Sea is one of the busiest seas in the world, and that also entails noise pollution. Sound waves under water move faster and further than in the air, which means that noise of shipping, wind farms, sand extraction and other activities spread over large distances.
And that has an impact on life in the sea. For many marine mammals, fish and even invertebrates, sound is essential for communication, orientation and reproduction. The increasing noise levels can disrupt their behavior, cause hearing damage or in extreme cases lead to injuries or mortality.