Whether sonar contributes to strandings has long been a source of debate between animal welfare groups and the military.
Sonar technology emits high-decibel sound waves across tens or even hundreds of miles of ocean to reveal objects in the waves' path.
But whales and other marine mammals rely on their own natural form of sonar to navigate and communicate. Scientific studies have linked the loud noises created by military sonar to sick or confused animals.
One such event environmentalists point to is the stranding of 150 melon-headed whales off Hawaii in July 2004 shortly after the military conducted mid-frequency sonar exercises.
A report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration concluded sonar was likely a contributing factor to the stranding.
The Navy denies that sonar played a part in that incident.
Security Issue
The military argues that mid-frequency sonar has become more important to national security in recent years, as other countries acquire quieter operating submarines.
About 160 ships in the Navy's fleet are equipped with mid-frequency sonar, but it's only turned on during training and maintenance activities, Navy officials add.
The NRDC counters that the government should use "common sense measures," such as an extra marine-mammal spotter on board ships.
The military should also avoid conducting sonar exercises near marine mammal feeding and breeding areas, the council says.
"Mid-frequency sonar can be used under slightly different conditions and can achieve all the military needs in terms of training without harassing or damaging or killing any marine mammals in the region," Paoletti said.
In the restraining order, U.S. District Court Judge Florence-Marie Cooper wrote that the Navy's failure to take a hard look at the impact of its training exercises was an "arbitrary, capricious" violation of the National Environmental Policy Act.
She ordered the two sides to meet and resolve their differences by July 12. If an agreement is not reached, a hearing will take place on July 18.
Meanwhile, the Navy's international war games will continue until the end of this month.
The NRDC expressed concerns over the exercises taking place in waters near the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument, which were created just two weeks ago by U.S. President George W. Bush. (Read "Hawaii Islands Named World's Largest Marine Sanctuary.")
The monument includes a 1,200-mile-long (1,930-kilometer-long) chain of relatively undisturbed island and coral reef habitat that is home to more than 7,000 species.
The Navy told the Associated Press it did not plan to use mid-frequency sonar inside the newly protected area.
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