Thirty seven countries, led by Panama and Canada, have launched the High Ambition Coalition for a Quiet Ocean—the first high-level political initiative to tackle ocean noise pollution on a global scale.
For decades, the volume of human activity in the ocean has risen steadily. Global shipping, industrial development, and resource extraction have filled the ocean with noise at levels that disrupt the very rhythms of marine life. Whales, dolphins, fish, and countless other species rely on sound to communicate, migrate, feed, and survive. Yet today, their calls are routinely drowned out. Excessive ocean noise isn’t just disruptive—it’s destructive.
The coalition’s declaration is an expression of shared political will to tackle the escalating threat of underwater noise. It lays out an ambitious road map including:
- Advancing quieter ship design and operations through new policies at the International Maritime Organization (IMO)
- Integrating noise reduction strategies into the planning and management of marine protected areas (MPAs)
- Implementing targeted measures to reduce vessel noise and other shipping-related disturbances to vulnerable marine species
- Enhancing global capacity through the sharing of tools, technology, and expertise, such as those developed under the IMO’s GloNoise Partnership
Leaders from Indigenous communities, international organizations, environmental groups, and the maritime sector joined the launch, demonstrating the broad and growing recognition that addressing ocean noise is critical to advancing global biodiversity and climate objectives.
