Abstract
Understanding the potential impacts of man-made underwater sound on the marine environment is a complicated and often controversial issue. Working as a scientist for over eight years at the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a US federal agency, has afforded me a unique perspective on the importance and challenges of applying science to real-world issues associated with underwater noise and marine protected species. This article shares and highlights some of those aspects.