Radio waves can鈥檛 be transmitted through water, but submarines can now
transmit e-mails without having to surface and reveal their location. Using an
鈥渁coustic modem鈥 that pumps out pressure waves, the US Navy sub USS Dolphin,
travelling at a depth of 120 metres, sent e-mail consisting of text and pictures
over a distance of 5 kilometres at 2.4 kilobits per second to a radio buoy. This
subsequently relayed the message to shore. However, the Navy鈥檚 research comes at a time
when the effect of underwater acoustic transmissions on sea life is ringing alarm bells
(see 鈥淓ar-splitting sonar鈥).
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