NCRUS was formed out of concern about the possible effects the Navy’s proposed Undersea Warfare Training Range would have on North Carolina’s fisheries, economy, and coastal resources.
Mid-frequency active sonar would be used throughout the year at the proposed range. Active sonar poses a significant threat to marine life in part because of the important role that acoustics play in basic functions of marine life and in part because of the great distances over which intense underwater sound travels.
While passive sonar simply involves listening for sounds generated by the object of interest, active sonar involves creating massive sound that can flood tens or even hundreds of square miles of ocean with ear-splitting sound waves. Active sonar at the proposed range would reach 235 decibels.
This website is intended to be a reliable informational tool for North Carolinians who want to know what’s going on, what the implications are, and to whom to address their concerns about the proposed sonar range.
The Power of Sound
Courtesy of Earthjustice.org
Read citizen and scientist comments on the proposed sonar range
Editorial on the sonar range, December 13, 2008, Daytona News-Journal