The economic slowdown caused by the coronavirus led to a sharp drop in shipping traffic around the world. This has given scientists a rare chance to observe quieter oceans. One international project has been launched to listen to the sounds of the sea to study how the reduced shipping activity has affected sea life. Many scientists have long dreamed of the chance to observe the sounds of a quiet ocean. One of them is environmental scientist Jesse Ausubel. He leads the Program for the Human Environment at The Rockefeller University in New York. Eleven years ago, Ausubel dreamed aloud about the possibility during a speech to university students. He asked, what if scientists could record the sounds of the ocean in the days before engine-powered ships and boats began traveling the world? In such an environment, researchers could listen to underwater communications between blue whales hundreds of kilometers apart. They could record the sounds of groups of dolphins. Scientists could carry out the observations without human influences, with the goal of understanding the ways industrial activity affects sea life.
Title: COVID Offers Rare Chance for Scientists to Study Quieter Oceans
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4264/A.wav' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='COVID Offers Rare Chance for Scientists to Study Quieter Oceans' data-article-id='4799'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='11083'>The economic slowdown caused by the coronavirus led to a sharp drop in shipping traffic around the world.</span> <span data-start-time='11083' data-end-time='19833'>This has given scientists a rare chance to observe quieter oceans.</span> <span data-start-time='19833' data-end-time='34396'>One international project has been launched to listen to the sounds of the sea to study how the reduced shipping activity has affected sea life.</span> <span data-start-time='34396' data-end-time='43458'>Many scientists have long dreamed of the chance to observe the sounds of a quiet ocean.</span> <span data-start-time='43458' data-end-time='50521'>One of them is environmental scientist Jesse Ausubel.</span> <span data-start-time='50521' data-end-time='59146'>He leads the Program for the Human Environment at The Rockefeller University in New York.</span> <span data-start-time='59146' data-end-time='69125'>Eleven years ago, Ausubel dreamed aloud about the possibility during a speech to university students.</span> <span data-start-time='69125' data-end-time='82813'>He asked, what if scientists could record the sounds of the ocean in the days before engine-powered ships and boats began traveling the world?</span> <span data-start-time='82813' data-end-time='94646'>In such an environment, researchers could listen to underwater communications between blue whales hundreds of kilometers apart.</span> <span data-start-time='94646' data-end-time='99708'>They could record the sounds of groups of dolphins.</span> <span data-start-time='99708' data-end-time='113958'>Scientists could carry out the observations without human influences, with the goal of understanding the ways industrial activity affects sea life.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4264/A_Science_and_COVID.png'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=15236 data-hint-location='0' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4264/what_has_caused_the_drop_in_shipping_traffic_around_the_world.wav'>What has caused the drop in shipping traffic around the world?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='the economic slowdown caused by the coronavirus'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4264/ship_builders_have_been_on_strike.wav'><span>ship builders have been on strike</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4264/the_high_price_of_fuel.wav'><span>the high price of fuel</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4264/the_economic_slowdown_caused_by_the_coronavirus.wav'><span>the economic slowdown caused by the coronavirus</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4264/the_lack_of_shipping_containers.wav'><span>the lack of shipping containers</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=15237 data-hint-location='19833' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4264/why_can_scientists_now_listen_to_the_sounds_of_the_sea_more_easily.wav'>Why can scientists now listen to the sounds of the sea more easily?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='There is reduced shipping activity'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4264/scientists_are_using_hearing_aids.wav'><span>Scientists are using hearing aids</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4264/there_is_reduced_shipping_activity.wav'><span>There is reduced shipping activity</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4264/sea_creatures_are_getting_louder.wav'><span>Sea creatures are getting louder</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4264/there_are_more_oceanographers.wav'><span>There are more oceanographers</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=15238 data-hint-location='11083' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4264/this_article_is_about_the_rare_chance_to_observe__blank_.wav'>This article is about the rare chance to observe <span class='blank'>quieter oceans</span>.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='quieter oceans'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4264/quieter_oceans.wav'><span>quieter oceans</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4264/crop_growth.wav'><span>crop growth</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4264/a_solar_eclipse.wav'><span>a solar eclipse</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4264/animal_testing.wav'><span>animal testing</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button class='speak-button'></button></div></div></div>
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