We, members of the Meadowcreek Cosmobots Robotics Team, who care deeply about the health of our marine environment, discovered the distressing fact that ocean noise is one of the largest threats to marine life, particularly to whales. What alarmed us most was knowing that commercial ships are the largest contributors to ocean noise. Motivated by our desire to make a difference, we decided to start this petition.

Human-generated ocean noise is a serious concern for marine life. According to a study by Clark et al., in 2009, this noise interferes with the ability of marine mammals like whales to communicate, find food, and navigate. Unabated, it may even lead to significant population decreases.

Despite these grave consequences, there is a way to mitigate the impact. Reducing ship speeds in regions known to house whales have been shown to decrease noise levels significantly. Larson et al.'s (2016) study also found that such ship slow-downs have minimal impact on shipping profitability. Moreover, several companies have already participated in voluntary slow-downs, demonstrating the feasibility of this approach.

Thus, our proposition is simple yet powerful: require mandatory seasonal slow-downs in regions inhabited by whales, reducing noise pollution and mitigating harm to the affected marine species. We believe it's a win-win situation!

So, we call upon legislators and shipping companies to implement this rule. It’s time to strike a balance between marine life preservation and commercial activities. Please sign this petition and help us urge the decision-makers to make a positive change.