Abstract: With increased human exploration and exploitation of the seas, our oceans have become noisier than ever, driven by an increase in commercial ships by more than 50% (in terms of deadweight). In Canada, recent demands have led to a 20% increase in commercial shipping traffic and the development of new seaport infrastructures to accommodate larger commercial vessels. With broadband noise in the 50Hz-10kHz range and source levels of 150-180 dB, there is a clear need to further study the environmental impact of such noise generation. The effects of underwater radiated noise (URN) on various components of the marine ecosystem, from mussels to marine mammals, have been extensively studied in different disciplines. Responses to noise vary between: (I) audibility, (II) behavioral responses and stress reflected in altered vocalizations, (III) masking of sounds necessary for communication, localization, and foraging, (IV) physiological auditory threshold shifts, and (V) physical damage (injury) to the auditory system. Due to these effects, ship noise is considered a source of environmental pollution and should be monitored regularly through ship noise measurements. In this presentation we will discuss the impact of increasing shipping activities on the health of marine biofauna. We will learn what regulatory measures are currently being proposed to mitigate noise pollution at global, regional and local levels. We will also present the activities of our laboratory to measure, detect and assess the impact of ship noise. Finally, we will present a unique, open-access dataset for URN from small ships and make the surprising observation that the noise from small ships is comparable to that from large ships. Speaker(s): Roee Diamant Room: CEME 2202 , Bldg: UBC Civil and Mechanical Engineering Building, 6250 Applied Science Lane, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6T1Z4