Dr. Maria Morell and her fellow research team conducted a study in several European countries and investigated the effect acoustic noise pollution has on Odontocetes in the ocean. They want to address if Odontocetes have acoustic trauma due to underwater mining or sonar exposure, which is important for the species to function properly. They specifically looked at the organ of Corti (element in the inner ear) of Odontocetes to look for any damage such as scarring using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The organ of Corti is based on a spiral system of hair cells. It is formed by inner hair cells and outer hair cells, and it is surrounded by other cells and membranes. When they hear a sound, this membrane vibrates, which makes the hair cells vibrate and eventually sends away the signal.