The issue of anthropogenic sound and its effects on marine life is one of increasing public and scientific interest. Ocean noise can travel over vast distances and affect marine species across many national sea boundaries.

In 2004, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and a number of other government, industry, and academic partners convened the first formal meeting ("Shipping Noise and Marine Mammals: A Forum for Science, Management, and Technology") to consider the effects of sounds from large vessels on marine life.

This meeting was followed by a second NOAA sponsored and internationally attended symposium held in 2007, which discussed potential applications of vessel-quieting technologies on large commercial vessels.

The final report from this symposium is now available to read here