Acoustical and seismological research from ships at sea have long made common use of high explosive charges as sound sources. Their principal advantages are intense radiation, broad spectrum, and the highly identifiable features of the waveform, the shock front, and the bubble pulses. In recent years far weaker electrical, and electromechanical impulse sources have been brought to a useful state for many problems of acoustical and seismic research. These sources share the advantages of high explosive except that they are far weaker. However, they have the distinct advantage over explosives that they can readily be repeated at a rapid rate. Very recently two electrical sources called the Sparker and the Thumper have been operated at sea with electrical inputs of 5000 watt sec and higher. With such electrical inputs subbottom reflections have been detected above noise level by a hydrophone towed from the same ship at speeds of two and a half knots in water 3000 fathoms deep. In the acoustical field experimental transmissions have been measured over very weak paths from the same sources. The early bottom reflections have provided new limits about the history of sea mounts and oceanic sediments while the new acoustical research demonstrates how these sources greatly facilitate path identification in sound and seismicP‐wave transmission.