Abstract
The ocean, which plays an essential role in supporting human life, continues to deteriorate due to anthropogenic underwater noise. This unseen form of pollution is a significant emergent threat to marine and coastal biodiversity. Substantial discussions have occurred on the problem under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) yet further action is needed. The adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) in 2022 provides a potential partial solution to address the problem. This article reviews the current development of the GBF concerning the protection of the marine environment, particularly from the threat of anthropogenic underwater noise. It is argued that the GBF, along with its monitoring framework, could provide an opportunity to strengthen further action for the conservation of marine and coastal biodiversity against this problem. The importance of capacity-building to ensure that developing countries have the capacity to address anthropogenic underwater noise is emphasized.