The US Navy wants to protect dolphins, whales and fish when it tests explosives underwater (US 2003/0034197).
The navy’s Warfare Center in Florida knows that the intense shock waves from test explosions can kill marine life, particularly near the shore. The way to protect the creatures is to surround explosions with a curtain of bubbles. Heavy pipes are laid on the seabed, with perforations that release a rising curtain of compressed air bubbles just before a detonation. The shield damps the shock waves and softens the impact.
