Oceanoise Asia 2026

Welcome to Oceanoise Asia 2026

Navigating a Changing Soundscape

We are now living in the “Anthropocene,” an era defined by unprecedented environmental shifts. Over the last century, global temperatures have risen by approximately 1.1°C—a change that previously took tens of thousands of years during the Eocene, when the ancestors of whales first transitioned from land to sea. This rapid warming has triggered a surge in sea temperatures worldwide. In regional waters surrounding Jeju, sea water temperatures are rising 2.6 times faster than the global average, with an increase of 2.0–3.6°C over the last 36 years. As the ocean warms and acidifies, its acoustic properties shift, changing sound propagation and absorption. For marine life, this is not just a change in weather; it may be a dismantling of their sensory reality.

These rapid changes are causing immense biological stress, evidenced by alarming indicators. While there were unusual mortality events—such as 690 gray whales documented stranded on North American west beaches from 2019 to 2023, and 297 bottlenose dolphins stranded on North American east beaches in just six months (February to June) of 2019—Jeju is facing its own local crisis. In the last two years alone, more than ten bottlenose dolphin calves have been reported dead in Jeju, with sightings of mothers pushing their lifeless calves to the surface. These may be the “silent screams” of an ecosystem under synergistic environmental and acoustic stresses.

Central to this transformation is the rise of anthropogenic noise. From the low-frequency sound of commercial shipping and marine leisure to the industrial construction of offshore wind farms, human-generated noise may mask the vital echolocation and communication signals that dolphins and whales depend on for survival.

To address these challenges, regional collaboration is more essential than ever. It is time for a collective response from the Asian and global scientific community to understand and mitigate this acoustic interference. Jeju Island—a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site at the geographical heart of East Asia—serves as the ideal venue for this symposium.

We are delighted to host Oceanoise Asia 2026 in Jeju this October. As the saying goes, “seeing is believing”; for the ocean’s inhabitants, hearing is surviving. We invite you to experience the beauty of Jeju and join us in shaping a quieter, more resilient future for our oceans.