Turning Down the Noise at Our Ocean Conference

Last week, the 11th Our Ocean Conference (OOC 11) took place in Mombasa, Kenya. Government leaders, community members, NGO representatives, and journalists gathered from around the world to discuss the many challenges that face our global ocean, as well as recent conservation successes, possibilities for action, and opportunities for international cooperation.

Located on the Western Indian Ocean, the waters off of Mombasa are home to a vast array of marine species. Among them are Bottlenose and Spinner dolphins, migrating humpback whales, and a critically endangered population of dugongs. 

The waters may look pristine, but the biodiversity in this region faces daily threats, such as underwater noise pollution from ships transiting through the port of Mombasa—the largest port in East Africa. Disturbances in the natural ocean soundscape have been shown to negatively affect a wide variety of marine species, including marine mammals, fish, invertebrates, and even seagrass. Many of these species rely on sound to communicate, navigate, find mates, catch prey, and avoid predators. 

Commercial shipping is one of the primary sources of ocean noise pollution around the world. Recently, on World Ocean Day 2026, Arsenio Dominguez, the Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), noted underwater noise as a pressing environmental threat and urged the IMO’s 176 Member States to take action to protect the ocean, saying “With shipping being one of the main users of the ocean space, it is the reason why we focus on enhancing our regulatory framework to reduce pollution and address new challenges, such as underwater radiated noise and transboundary species.”

The High Ambition Coalition for a Quiet Ocean (HAC) is a diverse group of proactive countries driving political action to reduce ocean noise, both at the IMO and in their regional waters. The Coalition, formalized in 2025, is co-led by Panama and Canada, and currently comprises 38 member countries. It is supported by an Executive Secretariat made up of five NGOs—of which EIA is one—who help to facilitate communication within the group, convene events, and provide organizational assistance. 

As members of the HAC, Panama, Canada, Belgium, Chile, Costa Rica, France, and Mexico collaborated to host a special side event at OOC 11 titled, “The High Ambition Coalition for a Quiet Ocean: Accelerating Global Action on Underwater Noise.” The speakers highlighted the need for urgent, global cooperation to address this widespread issue. They also encouraged interested governments to join the Coalition and push for effective measures to reduce noise pollution. 

Currently, no Western Indian Ocean countries have joined the HAC or thereby pledged to address underwater noise pollution. As OOC 11 comes to a close, we encourage new countries, whether Western Indian Ocean nations or others, to take the next step in combatting ocean noise pollution by joining the High Ambition Coalition for a Quiet Ocean.  

Together, we can turn down the noise to protect biodiversity, support productive ecosystems, and sustain coastal communities around Mombasa and worldwide.

Learn more about the High Ambition Coalition for a Quiet Ocean. To contact the Coalition, please email [email protected].