Government looking into soundproofing for underwater construction sites to protect whales and porpoises in Baltic

This article is more than 9 years old

This article is more than 9 years old

The German government is investigating ways to "bubble-wrap" underwater construction sites to protect whales and porpoises in the Baltic Sea from noise pollution from offshore wind farms.

The mammals rely on echo-location to hunt and navigate and researchers say noise from pile-driving work to install the turbines interferes with the animals' ability to find each other and their prey.

Karsten Brensing, a biologist at the Whales and Dolphins Conservation Society said: "These animals are so dependent on their acoustic sense … we need an acoustically clean environment.

But a report by the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation has suggested an ingenious solution. A "bubble curtain" could contain the disturbance. Using simple, low-cost technology, bubbles released from pipes on the seafloor would create a sound-insulating barrier.

Germany is a leader in the field of wind-power technology and with the country's phase-out of nuclear power, incentives are being offered to encourage the expansion of offshore wind farms.

A Greenpeace campaigner, Thilo Maack, believes that if "bubble curtains" can mitigate the impact on wildlife, they should be used. But he also said quieter construction methods such as drilling need to be investigated.

"We have to be sure that the wind parks don't harm harbour porpoises and other marine mammals," Maack said. "On the other hand, we need these renewable energies to fight the consequences of climate change."."