Many modern naval vessels have been fitted with a sophisticated new sonar system called S2076 Stage 5. Environmentalists lament that the soundbursts emitted by the system, some of which exceed 250 decibels, are seriously damaging marine wildlife. To support this claim, they point to an extraordinary number of seal carcasses found washed up near areas where vessels have used S2076 Stage 5. The developers of this technology have responded by asserting that, although the number of seal deaths is unfortunate, no one has found a causal link between them and the use of S2076 Stage 5. They maintain that the system is safe. The primary purpose of the passage is to