Noise scanner could save whales (BBC)

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Hundreds of whales and dolphins could be saved thanks to a new listening system designed by Plymouth University.

The equipment, which is towed behind a ship, scans for calls and songs to pinpoint their exact location.

Scientists, who launched a prototype in Plymouth on Tuesday, hope that the equipment will become integral to seismic survey equipment.

Conservationists think underwater explosions used in surveying could be behind the beaching of whales.

No evidence

The system uses marine microphones, or hydrophones, to scan the seabed, listening for whale and dolphin sounds which are then recorded on to a computer.
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more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/devon/6587761.stm