Seals are deafened in noisy shipping lanes, say scientists

Urbanisation of marine environment impacts on seal hearing and is comparable to noise pollution of inner cities

Seals are being temporarily deafened by underwater noise in the UK's busy shipping lanes, a new study suggests. Researchers compared the experience of the seals to that of people living amid the din of inner cities.

Dr Esther Jones, an ecologist from the University of St Andrews, said: "Like humans living in busy, noisy cities, some seals live in areas where there is a lot of shipping traffic and associated noise.