US Navy’s powerful shock exercise harms marine mammals, expert says

Recent blast registered as a 3.9 magnitude earthquake off Florida coast and is enough to have outsized effects on marine life in area

The US navy set off a massive explosion last week, detonating a 40,000lb blast as part of a test to determine whether its newest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald Ford, is ready for war. The test, known as a full ship shock trial, is just the first of three planned blasts over the coming months.

But the amount of explosive used - 40,000 lbs - is enough to have outsized effects on any marine life in the area, said Michael Jasny, who directs the Natural Resources Defense Council's Marine Mammal Protection Project, working on the law and policy of ocean noise pollution.