...sound waves emitted by powerful sonar, whales and dolphins fleeing to the surface of the ocean may succumb to "the bends," according to an international team of scientists looking into mysterious die-offs of marine mammals that have occurred in the wake of military exercises at sea...powerful sonic waves in the water literally shake and tear delicate air-filled tissues in ears and brain, causing bleeding, disorientation and death...An extensive study by the National Marine Fisheries Service attributed the mass die-off to high-intensity sonar, concluding that it caused bleeding around the inner ears and trauma to the brain and auditory system.