A humpback whale surfaces. Wegner Institute Share this article Press release issued: 4 February 2021 Oceans were once filled with the sounds of nature, but overfishing, climate change and human noise have fundamentally changed the natural underwater "soundtrack", researchers say. A global team of scientists, including six experts from three UK institutions, has documented how ocean soundscapes have changed, explored all impacts of noise on marine animals and ecosystems, and identified ways to restore a more natural soundscape. The team set out to understand how human-made noise affects wildlife, from invertebrates to whales, and found overwhelming evidence of negative impacts on behavior, physiology and reproduction – causing death in extreme cases.