U.N. Warns Man-Made Ocean Noises Threatening Sea Mammals

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 December 3, 2008 10:22 p.m. EST

The report says that the means by which whales communicate is being drowned out by noise from commercial shipping, military sonar and climate change.

The report suggests installing quieter ship engines, re-routing shipping, cutting speed and banning tests and sonar use in endangered species habitat.

The U.N. report and environmentalists said that climate change is raising acidity levels in the world's oceans causing sound to travel farther.

The report was presented at the U.N. Convention on Conservation of Migratory Species in Rome this week.