NEW RESEARCH OUT OF U-C-S-C MAY CAUSE TIGHTENING OF OCEAN NOISE POLLUTION REGULATIONS. THE STUDY FOUND THAT MARINE MAMMALS, PARTICULARLY THE ARCTIC SPOTTED SEAL, ARE MORE GREATLY AFFECTED BY UNDER WATER SOUNDS THAN PREVIOUSLY BELIEVED. SPECIFICALLY THE SOUNDS USED BY THE MILITARY FOR MAPPING THE OCEAN FLOOR AND SEISMIC PULSES USED BY FOR OIL EXPLORATION. CURRENTLY N-O-A-A GUIDELINES LIST THE SOUND THRESHOLD FOR CAUSING PERMANENT DAMAGE TO THE SEAL IS 190 DECIBELS, WHICH IS ROUGHLY EQUIVALENT TO A JET ENGINES NOISE.
