Narwhals and seismic exploration: Is seismic noise increasing the risk of ice entrapments?

► Seismic exploration introduces high-energy noise to the relatively pristine Arctic underwater environment. ► Seismic surveys in 2008 and 2009 may have led to mass mortality of narwhals in ice entrapments in Canada and Greenland. ► Extreme caution is warranted when conducting seismic surveys in narwhal habitat and direct effects studies are urgently needed.