10/19/2026
Did you know that dolphins use sound dialects, similar to how human languages vary by region?
In Malaysia’s murky coastal waters, visibility is often poor, forcing species like the Indo-Pacific humpback and Irrawaddy dolphins to rely on sound to navigate, hunt, and communicate. But human-made ocean noise is threatening their survival.
Saliza Bono, a marine bioacoustician with research organization MareCet, eavesdrops on underwater soundscapes to protect these species. Her research reveals that boat traffic within 500 meters drastically reduces dolphin vocalizations, disrupting their communication long after the vessels pass.
To combat this and reduce accidental net entanglements, Bono and her team are trialing acoustic pingers with local fishers, emitting frequencies that alert dolphins to nets without disturbing other marine life or damaging fishing gear.
Read Mongabay’s full interview with Saliza Bono to learn how listening to the ocean helps protect Malaysia’s dolphins.
👉 https://mongabay.cc/FbYueu
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