Dear MARMAM community,
On behalf of my coauthors, I am pleased to share our recently published paper:
Landine, A., Iniguez Bessega, M., and Andriolo, A. (2026). Acoustics and
anthropogenic underwater noise in the IWC Scientific Committee (1951–2024): a
systematic document review and scientometric synthesis. Frontiers in
Conservation Science, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcosc.2026.1894111
The paper is available open access at:
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/conservation-science/articles/10.3389/fcosc.2026.1894111/full
In this study, we provide a long-term synthesis of how acoustics and
anthropogenic underwater noise emerged, expanded, and diversified within the
International Whaling Commission (IWC) Scientific Committee between 1951 and
2024. Using a PRISMA-guided systematic document review combined with
scientometric and qualitative analyses, we screened 7,830 Scientific Committee
documents and identified 644 relevant records.
Our findings trace the development of underwater noise from a specialized
acoustic topic into a policy-relevant environmental issue, highlighting
temporal trends, major sound sources, reported impacts, institutional
participation, and the interaction between scientific knowledge and governance
within the IWC.
Abstract:
Anthropogenic underwater noise has become a major environmental and
ocean-governance concern affecting marine mammals worldwide, motivating
increasing attention within international conservation bodies such as the
International Whaling Commission (IWC). Here, we reconstruct how acoustics and
anthropogenic underwater noise emerged, expanded, and diversified within the
IWC Scientific Committee through a PRISMA-guided document screening combined
with scientometric and qualitative classification analyses.
A total of 7,830 Scientific Committee documents produced between 1951 and 2024
were compiled and screened using an automated keyword strategy, yielding 2,949
records for eligibility assessment. Following screening, 644 documents were
retained for analysis, encompassing both acoustic-related studies and documents
addressing anthropogenic underwater noise as an environmental or management
issue.
Among these, 594 documents (7.4%) addressed acoustics, spanning 50 years
(1962–2024) with a marked increase from the late 1990s onwards. Explicit
underwater-noise content was identified in 180 documents (2.16%), first
appearing in 1979 and recurring across 38 years, with contributions
concentrated in the Environmental Concerns, Small Cetaceans, and Whale Watching
sub-committees.
Ten standardized sound-source categories were identified, dominated by
shipping, seismic surveys, and sonar, while additional sources emerged
progressively over time. Reported impacts were primarily behavioral and
spatial, whereas auditory damage and mortality were associated with
high-intensity sources. Institutional participation was extensive, involving
559 institutions across 75 countries, but remained highly concentrated among a
limited number of recurrent contributors.
Together, these findings provide the first long-term synthesis of how
underwater noise evolved within the Scientific Committee from a specialized
acoustic topic into a policy-relevant environmental issue, revealing how
scientific knowledge, institutional priorities, and governance discussions
co-evolved within the IWC framework.
Best regards,
Anne Landine
Juiz de Fora Federal University
Instituto Aqualie
Brazil
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