Wiley team discovers shipping noise impairs whales' ability to forage

Increased shipping noise is disrupting the foraging behaviour of humpback whales in the North Atlantic, according to a new study.

Scientists in the US and UK said their findings could impact upon the numbers of humpback whales in the long term.

Many whales are found in coastal areas with high levels of shipping traffic, which often results in frequent fatalities from collisions.

The team collected data from 10 whales within the Stellwagen Bank national marine sanctuary, which is a popular whale watching site between Cape Cod and Cape Ann in the US.

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The study was carried out by Hannah Blair and Susan Parks, from Syracuse University in New York, Ari Friedlaender, from Oregon State University, Nathan Merchant, from the Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science in Suffolk and David Wiley from the Stellwagen Bank national marine sanctuary.