Scientists Testify On Sonar Use

Three scientists testified Friday in a San Francisco federal court that they do not expect whale-finding sonar to affect the behavior of migrating gray whales or to harm them.The scientists testified that the noise the sonar made will likely be inaudible to the whales as they make their way down the coast from Alaska to Baja California. Environmentalists are trying to get a judge to block the use of the sonar. They brought in their own scientist who said the sounds could cause stress to the animals.The environmental groups sued after learning that Peter Tyack of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts planned to use the sonar to see if it could detect whales on their migration.The judge said he might rule on the sonar case within a week.