ISTANBUL, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- The first underwater sound level measurement in Dardanelles Strait, an important waterway in northwestern Türkiye, has revealed noise levels above the maximum limit, local media reported on Wednesday, citing a study.
Surpassing the maximum level of 50 decibels, the sound level in the strait stood at 59.8, the Hurriyet Daily News said on its website.
"Scientific measurements and evaluations in the world's oceans indicated normal underwater sound levels ranging from five to 50 decibels," Hurriyet quoted Halit Kusku, an academic who led the study, as saying.
"The level of the Dardanelles Strait exceeded the upper limit by 9.8 decibels," he stated.
According to Kusku, the main reasons for the high underwater sound levels are increased shipping traffic accompanied by technological and industrial advancements, urbanization and population growth.
Kusku expressed concern about the potential adverse impacts of the increasing sound of the strait on its rich ecosystem and marine life.
He believes that such high decibels can disrupt sound frequencies, the primary means of communication of marine species, and jeopardize their reproduction, migration routes, food intake, and hunting activities.
The 61-km-long Dardanelles Strait is a narrow, natural strait connecting the Marmara Sea with the Aegean and the Mediterranean Sea. It also forms a natural boundary between the European and the Asian parts of Türkiye. ■
