London - The noise from building offshore wind turbines could be damaging the hearing of seals, scientists say.
Ecologists tagged 24 seals with devices that relayed their location and diving behaviour while turbines were being installed in The Wash off England’s east coast in 2012.
They combined the data with information on when pile-driving was taking place to predict the noise each seal was exposed to, then compared this with levels that damage hearing. Half the seals were exposed to levels above damage thresholds.
Dr Gordon Hastie, lead author of the St Andrews University study, said: “These are some of the most powerful man-made sounds produced underwater.”
Seals are thought to use underwater hearing to detect predators, for navigation and to find prey.
The study is published in the British Ecological Society’s Journal of Applied Ecology.
Daily Mail