July 7, 2006

Death by Decibel?

By RICHARD MONASTERSKY

Explosive bursts used by researchers to study the seafloor may harm whales and other creatures

In late September of 2002, a group of top whale scientists rented a sailboat out of La Paz, Mexico, and set off on a vacation cruise in the starkly beautiful Gulf of California. They enjoyed a quiet holiday, free from the hassles of work, until they anchored in a small bay on the next-to-last day.

While walking along the beach, the scientists spotted a pair of dead whales stranded in

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