The ocean is the fluid womb from which we all emerged, and produces nearly half of the world’s oxygen. Beach-loving Angelinos in particular know that responsible stewardship of the ocean and its marine life must be taken seriously to ensure the survival of our planet.

Sadly, the United States Navy has denied our right to protect the environment by announcing that it will not accept any of the sonar-related mitigation or monitoring measures put forth by the California Coastal Commission to save the lives of marine mammals off the Southern California coast. Two years of major naval sonar exercises may go ahead as planned if more is not done.

At a public hearing last month, the bi-partisan California Coastal Commission approved the Navy’s mid-frequency active sonar exercises, on the condition that they accept a set of 14 measures, 12 of which were designed to lessen harm to whales and other marine mammals. However, the Navy decided not to accept any of the measures put forth and will proceed with the exercises regardless, trumping California’s authority to protect its own coastline.

Some of the conditions put forth by the California Coastal Commission, which the Navy is “unable to agree to” are: avoidance of marine mammal habitats like the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary and the gray whale migration route, the requirement to power down at night and in conditions of low visibility, and to expand the safety zones around ships to keep from blasting nearby whales.

Back in July 2006, a federal judge temporarily banned the use of mid-frequency active sonar by the Navy three days after it had acquired an exemption from the Defense Department, which would've relieved them from the requirements of the Marine Mammal Protection Act. It was shown that the sonar, planned to be used off the coast of Hawaii, could possibility “kill, injure, and disturb many marine species, including marine mammals, in waters surrounding the Hawaiian Islands.” As in the current California case, the Navy could have chosen to conduct its exercises in less densely populated waters, but simply did not.

In 2004, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council, the world’s leading whale biologist concluded that the correlation between whale strandings and military sonar was “overwhelming.” Like Hawaii, sonar exercises off the Southern California coast would take place in some of the most biologically diverse waters, which are host to blue whales, humpbacks, gray whales, dolphins, porpoises, and other sensitive marine species.

In an attempt to prevent needless harm to California’s marine life, the Natural Resources Defense Council has prepared a template letter you can send to Secretary of the Navy Donald Winter. If we stand unified against this assault, the ocean will continue to provide for us and countless future generations. This is just the beginning.