A new report from the WWF Global Arctic Programme highlights the urgency of taking concrete action to safeguard Arctic whales on their migrations, as they are faced with new and growing pressure from climate change and increased shipping activity.

Expanding maritime activity in this area of the world presents new risks, including oil spills, vessel strikes, underwater noise, and other forms of human disturbance and pollution. To help mitigate these risks, WWF and the Marine Exchange of Alaska (MXAK) are working with experts to develop a set of wildlife alerts that MXAK will seasonally broadcast to vessels.

With whales and dolphins under acoustic assault from ever increasing shipping traffic, we need to turn down the volume and talk up the solutions for the health of our oceans.

When we think about threats to whales, seals and walrus in the Arctic, we don’t immediately think of underwater noise pollution. More likely, our minds go to visions of melting ice, caused by the region’s biggest threat: the climate crisis. Sea ice is essential habitat for many Arctic species, and it is also incredibly important in shaping the underwater soundscape that marine animals use to navigate, find food and mates, and avoid danger.