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As underwater noise from ship traffic increases, profound effects on the marine environment highlight the need for improved mitigation measures. One measure, reduction in ship speed, has been shown to be one of the key drivers in reducing sound source levels of vessels. In 2017, a study began to assess the impacts of increasing commercial shipping traffic on sperm whales in Northwest Providence Channel, northern Bahamas, an international trade route that primarily serves the southeast US. Ship data were collected from an Automatic Identification System (AIS) station combined with recordings from an acoustic recorder to measure underwater sound levels and to detect the presence of sperm whales. Here we analyze a subset of these data to opportunistically investigate potential changes in ship traffic before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. These data span one calendar year from October 2019 to October 2020. A pre-COVID-19 dataset of 121 days, from a recorder approximately 2 km from the shipping route was compared to a 134-day dataset collected during COVID-19 from the same site, comprising 2900 and 3181 ten-minute recordings, respectively. A dramatic decrease in ocean noise levels concurrent with changes in shipping activity occurred during the pandemic. The mean pre-COVID-19 power density level in the 111-140 Hz 1/3-octave band was 88.81 dB re 1 μPa (range 81.38-100.90) and decreased to 84.27 dB re 1 μPa (range 78.60-99.51) during COVID-19, equating to a 41% reduction in sound pressure levels (SPL). After differences in seasonal changes in wind speed were accounted for, SPL decreased during the pandemic by 3.98 dB (37%). The most notable changes in ship activity were significantly reduced vessel speeds for all ship types and fewer ships using the area during the pandemic. Vessel speed was highly correlated to SPL and the only ship-based variable that predicted SPLs. Despite the opportunistic nature [i.e., not a standard before-after-control-impact (BACI) stud

Death or injury to whales from vessel strike is one of the primary threats to whale populations worldwide. However, quantifying the rate of occurrence of these collisions is difficult because many incidents are not detected (particularly from large vessels) and therefore go unreported. Furthermore, varying reporting biases occur related to species identification, spatial coverage of reports and type of vessels involved. The International Whaling Commission (IWC) has compiled a database of the worldwide occurrence of vessel strikes to cetaceans, within which Australia constitutes ~7% (35 reports) of the reported worldwide (~471 reports) vessel strike records involving large whales. Worldwide records consist largely of modern reports within the last two decades and historical evaluation of ship strike reports has mainly focused on the Northern Hemisphere. To address this we conducted a search of historical national and international print media archive databases to discover reports of vessel strikes globally, although with a focus on Australian waters. A significant number of previously unrecorded reports of vessel strikes were found for both Australia (76) and worldwide (140), resulting in a revised estimate of ~15% of global vessel strikes occurring in Australian waters. This detailed collation and analysis of vessel strike data in an Australian context has contributed to our knowledge of the worldwide occurrence of vessel strikes and challenges the notion that vessel strikes were historically rare in Australia relative to the rest of the world. The work highlights the need to examine historical records to provide context around current anthropogenic threats to marine fauna and demonstrates the importance of formalized reporting structures for effective collation of vessel strike reports. This paper examines the issues and biases in analysis of vessel strike data in general that would apply to any jurisdiction. Using the Australian data as an example we look at what

El Faro's Voyage Data Recorder Located.

El Faro's Voyage Data Recorder Located.

Suez Canal hits day record with 70 ships.

Australians' passion for cruising has fuelled the nation's biggest ever summer cruise season, with a record flotilla of cruise ships sailing Down.

Australians' passion for cruising has fuelled the nation's biggest ever summer cruise season, with a record flotilla of cruise ships sailing Down.

DP World reports record growth.

DP World reports record growth.

Cruise Ship Breaks Record for Social Media at Sea.

Cruise Ship Breaks Record for Social Media at Sea.

Rotterdam Port Report Record Month.

More than 16 tons of cocaine intercepted at Philadelphia port, nearly a record haul.

Record 24-Row Container Ship Delivered.

Suez Canal sets new record.

Port Of Vancouver Sets Records.

UK Nets Record Heroin Haul on MAERSK Containership.

Antwerp Port Sees Record Growth.

U.S. Coast Guard Sets New Record for Drug Busts.

Loans with no fee without financial records are a dependable medium to benefit adequate assets to determine money related issues with no entangled convention. There is no compelling reason to fax numerous records, nor are there some other confounded conventions to take after.

1,400 saved in Med as Italy sees record migrant arrivals.

Royal Caribbean Awarded 'Best Cruise Line Overall' For Record 14th Year.

Australia nets biggest cocaine bust on record.

Record freight volume for port of Antwerp.