Less Bang, More Bubbles; September 2011; Scientific American Magazine; by Charles Q. Choi; 1 Page(s)

Noise pollution in the oceans has risen dramatically because of an increase in commercial shipping, oil and gas prospecting, and other activities. Evidence is mounting that low-frequency noise from these and other sources can pulp delicate organs in squid, octopuses and cuttlefish.

One way of protecting ocean dwellers would be to raise solid, heavy and potentially expensive barriers around either the sources of sound or the areas one would want protected. Acousticians now think they might be able to use bubbles instead of barriers, and several are experimenting with light curtains of air that absorb and reflect sound waves.