Acoustic transients resulting from the absorption of normal mode and Q-switched laser pulses in the mammalian eye have been implicated in damage to retinal tissue. A theoretical analysis indicated that acoustic transients with durations of the same order as the laser pulse (e.g., 100 msec for a Q-switched pulse) and amplitudes of greater than 100 atm could be produced in model systems that simulate the retina. Piezoelectric transducers and a schlieren optical system were used to verify experimentally the theoretical predictions. By the use of these devices, studies were made of the production of laser-induced acoustic transients in the rabbit eye. An 18-mJ Q-switched ruby-laser pulse produced acoustic transients with amplitudes of 1000 atm in the immediate vicinity of the site of absorption, a 750-μ-diam spot on the retina. Normal-mode laser pulses of the same energy but with durations of 0.5 msec produced a train of pulses with amplitudes 500–1000 times less than the Q-switched pulse. The biological significance of these findings is discussed.